André Singer, oaspete special al Astra Film Festivalului, va prezenta seria Maeștri: O viață în documentar.

Astra Film Festival are the pleasure to announce a special guest for its anniversary edition in the series „Masters: A Life in Documentary”: André Singer, Emmy Award winner and one of the most influential documentary filmmakers in the world.

Throughout five decades, as a director, producer, executive producer, and commissioning editor, André Singer has been responsible for creating hundreds of documentaries for cinema and television. In Sibiu, he will talk about how anthropology led him to the world of documentary filmmaking, starting with the iconic series „Disappearing World” on Granada Television, where he made his debut as a researcher. For more information about the special program „Masters: A Life in Documentary,” visit https://www.astrafilm.ro/ro/2023/event/maestri-o-viata-in-documentar.

At BBC, André Singer was in charge of selecting, approving, and financing independent documentaries, and he created one of the most iconic documentary series in the world, „Fine Cut,” which later became the renowned „Storyville.” In his conversation with director Liviu Tipuriță, André Singer will offer his perspective on working with world-renowned directors such as Jean Rouch, Mike Grigsby, DA Pennebaker, Robert Drew, and Fred Wiseman.

As a director and executive producer, André Singer will showcase how he approached difficult subjects of historical and human importance in feature-length documentaries such as „Night Will Fall” (winner of Peabody and Emmy Awards), the surprising and surreal diptych by Joshua Oppenheimer – „The Act of Killing” (Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning), and „The Look of Silence” (Oscar-nominated), as well as the intriguing portrait of the last leader of the Soviet Union in „Meeting Gorbachev,” which André co-directed with Werner Herzog.

Furthermore, a significant theme of this Masterclass is his remarkable collaboration with Werner Herzog for 31 years, resulting in an impressive repertoire of 17 productions.

The Masterclass will be illustrated with clips from the films that have marked André Singer’s career, including two feature-length documentary portraits, focusing on two extraordinary contemporary personalities: the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the director and filmmaker Werner Herzog.

The first production, co-directed by André Singer and Liev Schreiber, follows the remarkable story of Volodymyr Zelensky, from his childhood under Soviet domination to his days of fame and success in the show business industry and his presidency. The film „Meeting Zelensky” will be presented as a work-in-progress in the opening of Astra Film Festival (October 15, 6:00 PM) followed by a panel discussion moderated by writer, journalist, and diplomat Emil Hurezeanu, with André Singer and surprise guests.

The second portrait film, produced by André Singer and directed by Thomas von Steinaecker, will be presented at the festival on Wednesday, October 18, followed by a discussion with Liviu Tipuriță at Sala Thalia. „Werner Herzog – Radical Dreamer” (2022) tells the story of one of the most important and original contemporary directors. A director who was shot during an interview, who transported a 300-ton steamship over a mountain in Peru, who hypnotizes his actors, descends into volcanoes, speaks with death row killers, or cooks and eats his own shoe. Through interviews with Herzog’s close collaborators, including Robert Pattinson, Nicole Kidman, and Christian Bale, but most importantly, through direct access to the protagonist himself and unseen archive material, the film offers a captivating insight into Herzog’s creative process and personal life, which François Truffaut once called „the most important film director alive.”

André Singer’s significant contributions to the documentary film industry have been recognized with his appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). An interesting detail: André Singer’s family roots are Romanian, as his mother was born and raised in Cernăuți when this region belonged to Romania.

„Masters: A Life in Documentary” is a series of live events that celebrates the art of documentary filmmaking by exploring the works and philosophies of legendary filmmakers who have made a major contribution to this form of film.

Hosted by Astra Film Festival, the series is created by Liviu Tipuriță, BAFTA-nominated director, and offers filmmakers and the AFF audience the opportunity to meet and engage in dialogue with the most famous documentary filmmakers in the world. It is a chance to learn from the best in the industry.

Astra Film Festival Sibiu, launched in 1993 as an innovative project, is one of the most important non-fiction film festivals in Europe. Under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, the festival is organized by Astra Film, CNM Astra, and Astra Film Foundation, with the strategic partnership of the Ministry of Culture, and the support of the Sibiu County Council, the National Film Center, the Romanian Cultural Institute, the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sibiu, and the Filmmakers’ Union. The event is co-financed by the Sibiu City Council through the Municipality of Sibiu.