Ethan Hawke comes to Romania to support early education for children

American actor and Academy Award nominee, Ethan Hawke, will be in Bucharest on June 26 to encourage early education for Romania’s poorest children and to premiere his latest movie, “Before Midnight”.

The movie’s director Rick Linklater is also coming to Romania to help raise funds so OvidiuRo, the NGO cofounded by Ethan Hawke’s mother, Leslie Hawke, and Maria Gheorghiu, can continue the award-winning social program, Fiecare Copil in Gradinita.

The event will be called “Before It’s Too Late” to play on the name of the movie and its two popular prequels, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset – and most importantly, to remind people that attention MUST be paid to poor children’s early intellectual development – before it is too late to impact their success in school.

“The importance of early education is a very hot topic in both the U.S. and the E.U. these days. In fact, President Obama has made early education one of the cornerstones of his second administration. I am really happy that Ethan and Rick, both of whom have small children of their own, are willing to make the trip to Romania to help focus attention on this issue,” said Leslie Hawke, who has lived in Romania since 2000, when she came as a Peace corps volunteer.

Before Sunrise (1995) was never intended to be a series, but fans were so intrigued by what was going to happen at the end of the film that the team (Hawke, Linklater and actress Julie Delpy) decided, 9 years later, to tell the rest of the story. But the end of Before Sunset was another romantic cliffhanger – so last summer they set about to write a 3rd installment – about what happens when you finally get what your heart desires.

Speaking by Skype, Ethan joked, “I’m glad I finally have a movie that my mother wants to show people. Seriously, she has been working on Rick, Julie and me to premiere the film in Bucharest for a long time. I’m glad the timing worked out and I hope it helps to spread the word about how crucial early education is, especially for children from disadvantaged homes.”
Film critics in the U.S. are saying that Before Midnight is even better than the previous Befores and that “Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy surpass impossible expectations” (Vanity Fair) or that “Before Midnight is the most important cinematic story of all times”(The Week).

The Hollywood actor and director will answer questions about the film in a Q&A session at the end of the screening, which will be followed by an after-party. There will also be an invited press conference at 18:00.

The fundraiser will take place at Palatul Copiilor. Tickets to the Film Premiere, Q&A and After Party are EUR 35 (buy here) but the event will also include a VIP Reception with Hawke and Linklater. To attend both, tickets will cost EUR 300.