California Dreamin' (Endless) / California Dreamin' (Nesfarsit)
Romania, 155' , 2007

Directed by: Cristian Nemescu
Script: Tudor Voican, Cristian Nemescu
Producer: Andrei Boncea
Production company: Mediapro Pictures
Cinematography: Liviu Marghidan
Editing: Catalin Cristutiu
Music: -
Cast: Armand Assante, Razvan Vasilescu, Jamie Elman, Maria Dinulescu, Ion Sapdaru

Format: 35mm, color, b/w
Running time: 155'

Synopsis
US Marine Cpt Jones is assigned to escort a train carrying NATO equipment headed for Yugoslavia during the war in Kosovo. His mission is held back by Doiaru, apparently a very thorough station master in a godforsaken village, who halts the train over a paperwork technicality. The community makes ridiculous efforts to welcome the Americans, intending to profit from their unexpected presence. The troops join the game - and Doiaru's own daughter has a brief affair with Sgt. McLaren. Tired of waiting to get help from higher up, Cpt Jones decides to take matters into his own hands. As he gets more and more involved with the locals, he stirs old arguments and reveals the actual reason why Doiaru stopped his train to be a very personal one. At the end of five intense days, the train resumes its journey leaving behind broken hearts, broken dreams and a civil war.

Awards
Cannes Film Festival 2007
Un Certain Regard Award

Directors Biography
Cristian Nemescu was born on the 31st of March, 1979. in Bucharest and graduated from the University of Drama and Film ‘I.L. Caragiale’ in Bucharest. His short films are 'In Apartment Buildings People Are Crazy About Music' (2000), 'Mihai and Cristina' (2001), 'C Block Story' (2003) and 'Marilena from P7' (2006). 'California Dreamin’ (Endless)' (2007) was his feature debut. He died in 2006.

Web pages
Official website
Official trailer

Reviews
It is a diamond in the rough. California Dreamin is unfinished but certainly not unworthy: it offers more than enough evidence for Nemescu’s talents as a filmmaker who could have had a bright future as part of the Romanian New Wave / Boyd van Hoeij, european-films.net

Location and screening schedule:
matinee: SC Cinema, Tuesday, October 23rd at 11.00
premiere: SC Cinema, Tuesday, October 23rd at 22.30
reprisal: Cinema Europe, Wednesday, October 24th at 16.00