Synopsis
Fence me tenderly
„It Takes Two to Fence” is young filmmaker Andrei Gheorghe’s debut, appreciated by critics. It is a Romanian film with multiple awards from the Romanian Filmmakers Union, with the expressive Olimpia Melinte in the leading role and with notable cinematography achievements.
Director: Andrei Gheorghe
Scriptwriter: Andrei Gheorghe, Ivașcu Bogdan
Cast: Olimpia Melinte, Silvian Vâlcu, Marian Adochiței, Gheorghe Horia
Produced by: Dan Chișu, Andrei Gheorghe
Cinematography by: Alexandra Carastoian, Boroka Biro
Film editing by: Claudiu Trif
Year: 2014
Category: feature film
Genre: romantic drama
Duration: 80 minutes
Subtitles: English
Territories: –
251,997 – Cinepub viewers
PLOT SUMMARY
Alex, an ex-champion in fencing is thrown out of the game by a serious knee injury. He is given the chance of re-entering the fencing world as a coach. In the same time, Anda is signing up at his fencing club. Alex is given the task of training her and from their professional relationship emerges a strong bond that goes beyond friendship. Mircea, Anda’s boyfriend, who is also a fencer at the same club, is witnessing the relationship between the two getting stronger and becomes jealous. The tension keeps building up until Anda has to face a situation in which she is forced to choose between fencing and Mircea.
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„It Takes Two to Fence” is a Romanian love film that puts an entire aesthetic arsenal at work, with some of the finest instruments. Anda, Alex and Mircea practice fencing, a refined sport, which requires a lot of focus and equanimity.
This seems to be the message of the film when it comes to love as well: few touches, intended but discrete looks, many sword crossings, which look rather like a dance than a fight, learning about one another. As compared to most recent Romanian films, this one seems to be, through all its means (and the special atmosphere of the marine landscape poetry of photography), against the trend.
It is, therefore, a special piece in the collection of Romanian films online to be found at Cinepub.ro.
Reviews:
“It Takes Two to Fence announces a cineaste endowed with the sense of nuances, with a certain fluidity in building fragile rapports between characters – three young people caught in a story in which love is lurking, and once in a while something seems to be catching shape. A spark, a hunch, closeness, distance, certainty, doubt, falling out, fear, all in one. No note is sharp, the touches of the swords, well aimed at, are still only soft touches which symbolically dispute the only 80 minutes of the film.” (Magda Mihăilescu – www.aarc.ro )
“We don’t really have this kind of just beginning love stories in the Romanian cinematography, with the shy shift from friendship to something more. A beautiful, gentle love story, without fights, betrayals, couples or families. Gheorghe Andrei manages a simple love story, with delicate nice scenes, which is just as good as «September» or «Maria and the Sea».” (Cristina Zaharia – www.agenda.liternet.ro )
Lines:
“It didn’t go well today with Anda.”
Don’t be scared. Attack.Don’t think about how the opponent attacks, think about your attack.”
“You just can’t wait to wake up in the morning and go to the gym… and meet Alex… and practice…And train… You and Alex, all day long, from dusk till dawn…”
“You don’t want us to see each other for two months. Is that normal for you?”
Festivals
- Mons International Film Festival – Belgium, 2014
- FebioFest Film Festival in Prague – Czech Republic, 2015
- South-Eastern European Film Festival in Los Angeles – USA, 2015
Awards
Nominations:
- Best Debut Film, Young Hope, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Olimpia Melinte)and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Marian Adochiței), Gopo Awards – Romania, 2015
Winner:
- „Opera Prima Award” for directing (Andrei Gheorghe); „Iurie Darie” Award for male interpretation (SilvianVâlcu), Music Award (Paul Ilea), UCIN – Romania, 2015
- Gopo Award Young Hope category for cinematography shared by Alexandra Carastoian and Boroka Biro – Romania 2015
Media articles
- Gopo Awards 2015: Talking with Olimpia Melinte – www.business-review.eu
