A long-awaited theatrical release:
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (ENDLESS) opens at IFC Center

"... [the film] has always has something interesting to say; in particular, I think, to American audiences... Viewed through the lens of the Iraq war — which was surely on Mr. Nemescu’s mind in 2006 — this odd little Clinton-era anecdote takes on some unsettling resonances... Its themes are serious, but they are addressed with a playful exuberance that suggests a young man’s unbridled delight in every aspect of filmmaking." - A. O. Scott (The New York Times, January 23, 2009).

"Nemescu clearly had a head full of ideas on the subject of Romania's confused national aspirations. The filmmaker also had a few notions regarding the fantasy of American power—or the power of American fantasy. Historical inertia is endemic. That this posthumous movie's open ending seems cautiously optimistic makes it all the more poignant." - J. Hoberman (Village Voice, January 20, 2009)

" California Dreamin’ is a deft fable that maps global concerns onto a local story with confidence and wit. "
"Nemescu taps the carnivalesque possibilities of his setup to great effect, but keeps things grounded in naturalistic technique and sophisticated characterization." - Ben Waiters (Time Out New York, January 22, 2009)


The waiting comes to an end: Cristian Nemescu's CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (endless), that took the top award in the 2007 Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Un Certain Regard section, will finally reach American audiences on the big screen. A poignant tale of the long-awaited "arrival" of the Americans to Romania, after no less than 53 mentality-altering years of crushed expectations, it opens Friday, January 23 for a two-week exclusive engagement at the IFC Center in NYC.

Don't miss the Q&A with leading actor Armand Assante following the screening on SAT, January 24, 6:05 pm.

Another surprise from the Romanian new wave that brought 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days and The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, this raucously dark comedy centers on a trainload of US marines (led by Armand Assante) bound for an important mission in Kosovo in 1999—until a corrupt, small-town stationmaster (Răzvan Vasilescu) holds them on a customs technicality in a Romanian backwater. Welcoming them with open arms, the locals see their unexpected guests as tickets to political power, financial advantage, or romantic entanglements. As the days drag on, however, patience wears thin, and sparks fly.

Tragically killed in an auto accident just weeks after wrapping this, his only feature, director Cristian Nemescu remains a major talent who left a striking legacy.


[Image: Director Cristian Nemescu (left) and actors Armand Assante & Jamie Elman (right) shooting "California Dreamin' (endless)"; photo by Marian Hanciarec]