Transylvania International Film Festival Day Two — Lángos, Loneliness, Landfills

Food beats film

Around 40 miles west of Cluj-Napoca is the village of Mărgău. A quintessentially Transylvanian commune, with thatched roofs amongst undulating hills, stray dogs and muddy fields, it’s also home to the unique Gumuțeasca argot, devised by window-makers in order to talk to each other without outsiders understanding. 

Equally impenetrable for the outsider, perhaps, is the language of journalists, producers and directors, throwing around the names of films and festivals that sound alien to others outside of the business.

A mere three-hour round trip from the city itself — mostly thanks to Romania’s infamous car fetish, causing endless, perhaps unnecessary traffic jams — it laid host to a variety of professionals, including myself, who enjoyed pig fat rashers and chorizo, insanely tasty lángos (Hungarian flatbread with some cheese), incredible multicoloured cheeses, heaps of bread, and a type of local mushroom risotto, all served with hearty red and white wine. I enjoyed myself very much, even if the heavy rain threatened to turn the countryside into a misty, flooded marsh.  

It was certainly the highlight of my day. Now let’s get to the films.  

Read the rest over at Journey Into Cinema.