The “Central Cultural German Cluj Napoca” has announced A1-level German tests in April.
Exam date: 24 of April, 2026.
Last day to sign up, 20 March, 2026.
Now, they advertised this exam in Romanian and German. We haven’t taken the test yet, so we aren’t sure if there will be any instructions in English.
In any case, it will be the Goethe-Zertifikat A1. We saw in on the Kulturzentrum’s Facebook feed, but nothing in the Goethe Institute’s website about it.
For more information and to sign up, email cursuri@kulturzentrum-klausenburg.ro
(Study tip: Klausenburg is German for Cluj city. Orasul Clujilor. )
What can you do with an A1 certificate? Not much really, but I suppose it could be used to sign up for a class leading to A2 German.
In related news, there will be mini film fests this week and next in Cluj. Japanese, French and Italian film festivals at Cinema Arta.
The films themselves don’t seem that exciting. “Primavera,” which means spring, seems like a rip-off of last year’s superior Gloria, itself a rip-off of the even better “Les Choristes.” It is just a marring of culture, where they remake artist-as-victim films about people who want to sing but can’t, or can’t be seen.
Gloria was fun, to see the bad guys destroyed in such a way, even if the story was weak. Les Choristes was excellent, with a positive, hopeful view of human nature (at least, the potential of most people to become better). Primavera? Perhaps it’s better than the trailer.
Oh, but it’s historical, or “based on a true story.” Meaning, the screenwriter read the headline of a news article or a line from a journal and then imagined a film from it. There’s probably more historical accuracy in Star Wars, but I digress.
Afara,or “Fuori” looks like a film that would have been shown in casino-like cinemas a few years ago. You know, Esterhausz films that everyone knew was crap, but some teenagers went to see so they could “get away with” something. Only, they call it art, so middle aged people can watch it and pretend not to be bored. Kind of like “50 shades of” Wuthering Heights.
But, perhaps there is more to it than the trailer. It deals with prison. With the 1980s. The last millenium. Ancient history. I am surprised Julius Caesar wasn’t there, or at least Napoleon. Maybe there are some deep messages that the trailer skims over.
La Grazie is a film that looks deep. Sure, it has a male lead you say. Well, if you can handle the patriarchy being made up of human beings with films, then this might be the Italian film for you. There is a President who has a bill to sign, over euthanasia. If he signs it, he’s “a murderer.” If he refuses, he’s “a torturer.”
Even if the film is awful, it is an interesting enough talking point to discuss over a covrig afterwards. (Sarmale is for bucharest.)
As for the Japanese film festival coming up, it looks like most of the films are sold out already. Sorry about that.
Then there are the French films.
Meteors seems to be almost about nothing. Three friends go bowling, get in trouble with the law, talk a bit. But, there is enough variety in scenery that it’s probably good practice for your French. It is visual, contemporary. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with outer space.
If you want to see a science film, Cantecul Padurii “Le Chant des Forêts” seems much better. A documentary disguised as a fiction film, for those scientists who are accused of not liking stories, humans and relationships. Okay, you see the humans who watch nature. It is like, watching yourself if you are a nature freak. And it looks beautifully filmed, so maybe your artsy, relationship friend will find something to like about it too.
Nino looks like someone asked the AI to write “a stereotypical French film for the 2020s.” There is a guy who has melancholy, and eventually meets a girl. There is a birthday cake, a shower, eletronic music, and even a bopping up and down that looks like dancing. The camera work looks like it was done with a phone (but the phone company would not admit to it) however the acting is pretty convincing.
Two tickets have already been sold, in the front row! Perhaps someone relates to it. (I guess there are a lot of engineers in Cluj, so yeah, someone will like it.)
There are a few other French films. Two have a number in the title (but neither seems destined to be a classic like The 400 Blows), and one is in black and white. Then there is an old film about a historical figure and something where a woman dreams she is a bullfighter and gets attacked by it (and attached to it) in real life. It is almost like a British sketch making fun of French films was taken as a synopsis for a few French writers to expand upon. But, they might be entertaining.
