Divan Film Festival: when Balkan food means Balkan love

The third day of the Divan Film Festival is that particular moment when Mircea Dinescu brings to Craiova some of the specialties of Cetate Harbour, the magic place where Balkan food meets Balkan spirit and results a festive meal where (almost) everyone is invited.

Read also about the first day of Divan Film Festival: Divan Film Festival: Give Romanians a taraf to start buzzing

You may wonder what’s with this Dinescu’s food. Well, firstly, is about the old Balkan recipes, then about the bio-eco vegetables and all the other goodies grown on these fields, the wonderful local women who are helping him in the kitchen and last but not least, the wine, labeled as Vinul lui Dinescu.

„The story begins with a hill covered with grapevines, above which the sun strolls hand-in-hand with the breeze of the Danube, and ends with the testimonial of a friend who, after drinking two glasses in the evening, woke up the next morning feeling smarter and more handsome,” says Mircea Dinescu in a description of the place where these Balkan goods are coming from.

Read also about the second day of Divan Film Festival: Divan Film Festival: when theatre brings you close to Home

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But how was the preview of what will happen at Cetate Harbour in terms of Balkan food?

Don’t worry. If you can’t make it to Divan Film Festival, you can taste some of the Balkan goodies at Lacrimi si Sfinti and buy some local products like zacusca, wine or jams from Barza Viezure Manz shop, both placed in Bucharest’s Old City Centre.

About Divan Film Festival

Divan Film Festival is an unique Romanian event dedicated to the movie and Balkan culinary art, taking place between August 18-26, in Craiova city and Cetate Cultural Harbour (Dolj county, on the Danube’s shore). This year’s theme is Balkan love, presenting 18 long featured films, 20 short movies and a record number of movies directed by women.

“When you say the Balkans, you automatically think of war and death, families uprooted and weeping with hiccups. This year, the Divan Film Festival aims to show that in the Balkans, the world still shares love, not just writhing and angry. We chose to celebrate love with new movies, most of which will be screened as national premiere,” explains Catalin Olaru, the artistic director of the festival.

The entrance at the festival is free of charge and if you want to attend the festival at Cetate, you can camp for free there by sending your request to the organisers. More information is available here. 

Photos courtesy of Adi Bulboaca / Divan Film Festival