Teodor Corban, lead actor in Romanian film Aferim!, will compete with American actors Christian Bale, James Franco, Pole Janusz Gajos and Chinese Wen Jiang for the Silver Bear – Best Actor award at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival.

In Aferim!, Corban plays the role of Costandin, a tax collector who tries to find a runaway slave.

Christian Bale stars in Knights of Cups, James Franco appears in Queen of the Desert, Janusz Gajos plays in Body, while Wen Jiang stars in Gone with the Bullets.

Aferim! is a historical movie placed in XIX century Wallachia (Tara Romaneasca), directed by Romanian Radu Jude. Its world premiere is scheduled for February 11, at Berlinale Palast. Watch the trailer below.

The movie, directed by Radu Jude, is one of the 23 films selected in the official competition of the Berlin International Film Festival. The event takes place between February 5 and February 15.

Another Romanian movie, Why me?/De ce eu?, directed by Tudor Giurgiu, will compete in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival.

Romanian film The Child’s Pose/Pozitia Copilului, by Calin Peter Netzer, won the Golden Bear in 2013.

Teodor Corban, 57, is best known for his roles in Romanian films 4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days), A fost sau n-a fost? (12:08 East of Bucharest) and Dupa dealuri (Beyond the Hills).

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo credit: Silviu Ghetie)