The movie Toni Erdmann, which focuses on the life of a German expat working in Bucharest, will open the local film festival Les Films de Cannes a Bucarest, on Friday, October 14. German filmmaker Maren Ade, who wrote the script and directed the movie, will be at the premiere, at CinemaPRO, in downtown Bucharest.

Toni Erdman was awarded the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for best movie in the official competition at Cannes Film Festival this year. The movie is Germany’s proposal for the Oscars in 2017 and was recently included in BBC’s Top 100 movies of the 21st century.

The movie, which is co-produced by Romanian Ada Solomon, was almost entirely shot in Bucharest, where its action takes place. Ada Somolom, who also produced awarded Romanian movies such as The Child's Pose and Aferim!, says she has long been preoccupied with the life of expats in Romania and has been trying to convince local filmmakers to make a movie about this.

Ada Solomon says that Maren Ade has spent much time in Romania documenting the movie and that Toni Erdmann offers a different perspective on Bucharest than the one Romanians are used to.

Toni Erdmann tells the story of an eccentric, prank prone retired father, who decides to surprise his daughter with a visit. She is a career woman doing corporate strategic consulting for an important project in Bucharest. The movie focuses on the difficult relationship between the two and the challenges of expat life.

Toni Erdmann stars German actors Peter Simonischek and Sandra Hüller. Several Romanian actors also play in the movie, including Vlad Ivanov, Ingrid Bisu, Alexandru Papadopol, Ozana Oancea, Cezara Dafinescu, and Victoria Cociaș.

The movie will also be screened on Saturday, October 15, at Romania’s National Art Museum, at 17:00. It will also have a preview screening on Tuesday, October 18, at Cinema City AFI Cotroceni, at 19:30. Starting October 21, Toni Erdmann will be screened in several cinemas in Bucharest in other cities in Romania.

Les Films de Cannes a Bucharest takes place between October 14 and October 23 at CinemaPRO, Cinema Elvire Popesco, National Peasant’s Museum, and National Art Museum. The festival will have a special section dedicated to French director Olivier Assayas, winner of the Best Director award at Cannes, for his new movie Personal Shopper.

Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen will also come to Bucharest to present his movie The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, winner of the Un Certain Regard section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Japanese, Dutch, and American movies that won prizes at Cannes this year will also be screened during the festival. Find out more information about the festival here.

editor@romania-insider.com