Movie Magic Outside Hollywood in…Romania
Discovering cinematic wonders in an Eastern European country.
Story by Erin Deinzer
Last night’s rainfall saturated the road that ran through town, keeping dirt to a minimum. Nevertheless, my boots stuck to the mud-caked planks as I made my way across the street from the saloon to the general store. From somewhere in the distance, I heard the whinnying of horses in their stables; the church bells, however, were silent. And over at the Z. Pickett Hotel, the door and windows were boarded up tight.
Was there a showdown set to happen at ‘High Noon,’ or would the townsfolk suddenly spring into action once the rain-soaked road had dried?
“This is part of the set we used for the History Channel miniseries Hatfields and McCoys,” explains our tour guide jovially. “It’s been used in a variety of productions, including Cold Mountain.”
What we’re touring is actually the grounds of Castel Film Studios, a full-service production facility located 45-minutes outside Bucharest, Romania. On a property that exceeds 100 acres, there are sound stages, outdoor sets (including the aforementioned “old west” town, an urban street, and a medieval village), a horse stable, moveable props in the shape of everything from fabricated haystacks to fiberglass cannons, a full-service cafeteria, and 37-acres of forest.
Those acres of forest came in handy during the filming of Cold Mountain, the Anthony Minghella-directed period drama starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Renée Zellweger. After months of location scouting for areas of the world that could emulate the American South during the Civil War, Minghella decided that Romania fit the bill — topographically and financially. When elaborate battle scenes needed to be shot, the forest that’s part of the Castel Films’ property was filled with costumed soldiers and transformed into an American battlefield.
The studio had already been in business when Cold Mountain came to town in 2003, but that movie really cemented the reputation of Romania as a bargain (in terms of production costs), as well as a place where old-world craftsmanship can still be found. Onsite prop shops provide the services of carpenters, fabricators, and technicians who can craft and shape molds, furniture, automotive machines, electrical wiring, and metalwork. Costume designers and tailors are also on hand to create authentic reproductions of period clothing. In the case of Cold Mountain, over 1,250 historically accurate Civil War-era costumes were created including pants, dresses, shirts, boots, gloves, belts, buckles, buttons, emblems, and war medals.
CSF is the largest full-service studio and film production company in the country, and one of the busiest in Central/Eastern Europe. With sound stages, lakefront access, the nearby forest, and a cafeteria that can seat up to 200 and cater to 1,200, it’s no surprise that hundreds of feature films and commercials have been shot at CFS, including the 2017 dystopian thriller, What Happened to Monday?, that stars Glenn Close and Willem Defoe.
Although we were lucky enough to be treated to a private tour, visitors to Romania can take advantage of a unique opportunity: Castel Film Studios is open to guests. By prior arrangement, groups can coordinate tours of the facility, including visiting the sound stages where snowy, winter wonderlands, medieval villages, or urban streets have been created.
