Ana ȘANDRA and Claudia STRAVOSITU on the challenges and passions behind the film “The Sun of Moldova” at FERM 2025: “History comes alive when artistic courage embraces the truth”
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REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM MOLDOVA 2025
19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025
Thematic Panel:
Culture and Regional Identity – Tradition, Innovation and Social Cohesion
Speakers:
Claudia Stravositu – Producer of the feature film “The Sun of Moldova”
Topic of the intervention:
“Balancing historical accuracy and artistic freedom in promoting cultural heritage”
At this year’s edition of the Regional Economic Forum Moldova (FERM), culture and regional identity were highlighted in Panel 10 – Culture and Regional Identity.
Two prominent figures of Moldova’s cultural and tourism scene, Ana Șandra, Interim Director of the National Tourism Office, and Claudia Stravositu, producer of the film “The Sun of Moldova,” delivered a compelling intervention, offering a sincere and profound perspective on the filmmaking process and the role of art in promoting regional identity.
Ana Șandra: “The effort behind every second of filming is enormous”
Ana Șandra opened her speech by acknowledging the tremendous work put in by the production team of “The Sun of Moldova.” As Interim Director of the National Tourism Office of the Republic of Moldova, she emphasized the attention and dedication behind every scene, even if it lasts only a few seconds, all based on historical data that can later be analyzed and critiqued by experts.
“Not because I want to reproach anyone, but when we face an artistic film, we look at it from the creator’s perspective and are fully aware that it is a product of imagination. Yes, it is based on historical data, but it is also a product of imagination. That must be understood,” emphasized Ana Șandra, acknowledging the delicate balance between historical accuracy and artistic freedom.
She also expressed hope for future fruitful collaboration between the production team and specialists in Chișinău, noting that “The Sun of Moldova” is part of a broader initiative to promote a cross-border route dedicated to the Great Voivode Stephen the Great, highlighting multiple cultural and tourist destinations in the region.
Claudia Stravositu: Taking risks and the courage to create
Responding to Ana Șandra, Claudia Stravositu shared a moment of artistic sincerity and passion, confessing that the team was ready to take financial and critical risks, fully aware that without risk, there is no progress.
“We were crazy, to be honest, we didn’t know what to do with some money. Because if nobody dares, out of fear of making mistakes, there is no progress or evolution. And we decided to invest our money to create something that is clearly open to criticism, and that’s very good,” said the producer, expressing a courageous attitude and total commitment to the project.
She explained that she took responsibility for both the script and direction, as an expression of her vision, while the production was carried out by her colleague Adi Codoi. Claudia also noted, with humor and irony, that although there is an avalanche of “experts” commenting on history and various fields, the film was received with emotion and openness by the general public and even by some Romanians, mainly for the story conveyed, rather than for all historical details.
“And historians. And politicians, in the front row. But also historians. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that their people focused more… they weren’t so attentive to details that professionals would notice,” she concluded, highlighting the difference between specialist perception and that of a general audience, open to an emotional experience.
Conclusions: Art as a bridge between history, identity, and regional development
The intervention of Ana Șandra and Claudia Stravositu perfectly illustrated the complexity and beauty of leveraging cultural heritage through artistic means. In a regional context marked by economic and social challenges, culture becomes a key vector for promoting identity, cohesion, and sustainable development.
Film productions such as “The Sun of Moldova” are not merely artistic endeavors, but pillars of a broader strategy for cultural and tourism promotion, involving cross-border collaboration and mobilization of local and international stakeholders.
The Regional Economic Forum Moldova 2025 thus provided a suitable platform for such voices and initiatives to be recognized and supported, reinforcing the link between tradition, innovation, and the shared future of the region.
