Cine-Concerts at Transilvania IFF.25: Live Music for Three Cinematic Universes

Meanders (Meandre, dir. Mircea Săucan, Romania, 1967)

Based on a screenplay by Horia Lovinescu, Meanders remains one of the most unusual and daring works of Romanian cinema in the 1960s, confirming Mircea Săucan as a singular author connected to European cinematic modernism.

The story follows the intertwined lives of a talented architect at a personal and professional crossroads, the married woman he loves, and her son, all caught in moments of emotional crisis. Immediately after its premiere, Meanders was banned by the communist regime, a fate shared by several of Săucan’s films. “Despite such treatment, the film remains a masterpiece; time has not altered the clarity of its aesthetic and spiritual message,” wrote film critic Călin Căliman.

The screening features a live score by GOLAN, a music project that blends electronic music with live instrumentation. Formed in 2013, the group quickly rose on the Romanian music scene, performing at major festivals and in diverse live formats, from standard shows to orchestral collaborations.

Meanders screens on Wednesday, June 17, 7:00 PM, at the Student House.
 

Beyond Sleep (Nooit meer slapen, dir. Boudewijn Koole, Netherlands, 2016)

A young geologist travels to northern Norway on a scientific expedition that gradually turns into a struggle for survival. In the Arctic tundra, where daylight never ends, orientation becomes increasingly difficult, and the planned journey transforms into a physical and psychological ordeal. Inspired by Willem Frederik Hermans’ novel, Beyond Sleep blends tension and introspection in a story of isolation and self-confrontation.

The film’s score, awarded the Gouden Kalf for Best Music, is reinterpreted live by Alex Simu and George Dumitriu, two musicians who performed on the original recording. Active on the international jazz and contemporary music scene, they bring a dynamic, improvisational approach shaped by years of collaboration.

Beyond Sleep screens on Thursday, June 18, 9:30 PM, at the Museum of Art.

The Beyond Sleep cine-concert is part of the Focus Netherlands program of TIFF.25 and is supported by the Embasy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Romania.
 

Paris Asleep (Paris qui dort, dir. René Clair, France, 1925)

Paris Asleep marks René Clair’s directorial debut and stands among the earliest experiments in cinematic fantasy. It begins with a simple and inventive premise: Paris is suddenly frozen in time by a mad scientist, with only a handful of people unaffected by the mysterious phenomenon. From this situation emerges a visual universe in which the city becomes both setting and character, suspended in an almost dreamlike state.

The film is notable for its visual inventiveness and its portrayal of Paris as a space of imagination, anticipating the style of a filmmaker who would become central to French cinema.

For this cine-concert, Stéphane Scharlé, drummer and founder of the jazz group OZMA, presents a solo performance built around an expanded drum kit equipped with a custom electronic system. This setup allows him to create rhythmic structures and layered sounds in real time, combining repetition, improvisation, and contemporary electronic textures.

Saturday, June 20, 9:30PM, Art Museum.