07/01/2011

Omega Rose, the second feature of George Dorobantu, one of the fresh faces of Romanian cinema, will end production in spring. The very low-budget film is a welcome foray into the science fiction genre, in a film industry known for its minimalist and realistic work.

The story is set in the near future, three years after a mysterious cataclysm has killed nearly all humans. The project is still über-minimalist in terms of budget: only €8,000 were spent on shooting 90% of the film. According to the director, the guerrilla production still needs €4,000 for the most important sequence, which he plans to shoot during in the spring.

Dorobantu also wrote the screenplay and will edit the film about a young man (newcomer Mircea Silaghi) who travels aimlessly across the barren and devastated land. Various encounters with a few other survivors will try to reveal the cause of the apocalypse. A small part of the budget will be used in post-production for background visual details, like ruins and debris.

Dorobantu came out of nowhere in 2008, when his debut film, Elevator, won Best First Feature at the Transylvania International Film Festival. According to the director, the story of two high school students trapped in a factory elevator was made for only €200. The no-budget film also brought Dorobantu a Best Newcomer Award at the Gopos, Romania’s top film awards, in 2009.

Omega Rose, produced by Blue Heron Productions and actor/director Florin Piersic Jr., is expected to be finished next autumn as well as to compete in various film festivals. A domestic release could be scheduled for the spring of 2012.