SETimes.comRomania: Hollywood's new set
02/08/2007
Romania's spectacular landscape and low labour costs have sparked a growing interest among moviemakers.
By Paul Ciocoiu for Southeast European Times in Bucharest – 02/08/07
In recent years, Romania has turned into a Hollywood production paradise, in large part because of lower costs. Major movies are now being made in the country, featuring the likes of Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Wesley Snipes, Renee Zellweger and Jean-Claude van Damme.
The two major Romanian studios are enjoying an unprecedented boom in business. They are Castel Film, located 40km from Bucharest in the village of Ciolpani, and Mediapro Studios, based in the town of Buftea. The latter is one of the largest media and entertainment groups in Eastern Europe.
A watershed moment, in terms of Hollywood's interest, came with "Cold Mountain", a Civil War story set in the hills of North Carolina. Starring Law, Kidman and Zellweger, it was filmed in Rasnov, in southeastern Transylvania.
"Without the savings that Romania offered, "Cold Mountain" absolutely would not have gotten made," said producer Albert Berger, who estimates that the country's low labour costs trimmed more than $20m from the film's budget. The move would have cost more than $100m to make in the United States, Berger says.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, obtained permission to use scenes from the film in a tourism campaign broadcast on CNM in 2004. In the ads, film director Anthony Minghella praised the country and its unspoiled landscapes.
Another US film, "Modigliani", was shot at Mediapro. It starred Andy Garcia in the role of the famed Italian painter, and cost $14m. Christopher Lambert and Adrian Paul starred in "Highlander: Endgame", shot at Castel. The BBC has also been attracted to Romania's low costs -- it chose to shoot "Mary Queen of Scots" there. Romania is also a favoured location for documentaries broadcast on such channels as ZDF, Arte, Discovery and National Geographic.
Foreigners now spend around $50m yearly on film production services in Romania, and that amount is expected to rise. Romania is a new EU member, and the impact of accession on the industry remains to be seen. According to experts in the field, however, the country can expect to remain a filmmaker's Eden for years to come.