Life's Hard / La Drumul mare
Romania , 2007

Directed by: Gabriel Sirbu
Script: Gabriel Sirbu
Producer: Vivi Dragan Vasile
Production company: Fundatia Arte Vizuale
Cinematography: Marius Panduru
Editing: Dana Bunescu
Cast: Andi Vasluianu, Claudia Prec, Gabriel Spahiu, Mihaela Betiu

Format: boja, color, 35mm
Running time: 20'

Synopsis
A thief breaks into the car of a young woman when she stops at a traffic light, trying to grab her purse. When he realizes that a traffic police car arrives nearby he decides to stay in the car untill they it goes away from the cops. However, the two nearly miss being pulled over by the police because the woman is a terrible driver. When finally safe, the thief, instead of getting off, decides to teach the young woman a driving lesson. But, at a certain point, she doesn’t stand it any more and she gets off the car leaving him with everything she had. Is the woman going to escape from the thief? Who is going to escape from whom?

Directors Biography
Born in 1970 in Bucharest, Gabriel Sirbu studies computers in high school then biology in college. In 1990 moves to live in Israel. Receives a B.Sc. in biology but starts studying video editing. Returns to Romania to study film directing in 1996. Graduates in 2000. His graduation film An Invitation to Lunch was selected in the 2002 Academy Awards competition after winning the largest short-film festival in North America, Palm Springs ISFF and several other prizes. Works as a teaching assistant at the National University of Cinema and Theatre Arts – Bucharest.

Location and screening schedule:
matinee: SC Cinema, Wednesday, September 24th at 11.00
premiere: SC Cinema, Friday, October 24th at 22.30
reprisal: EUROPA Cinema, Saturday, October 25th at 16.00