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Only Sky and Earth

ONLY SKY AND EARTH tells the story of a grandmother and her grandson living in one of Romania’s most isolated mountain villages. While she is struggling with the emotional consequences of many years in solitude, her 4-year-old grandson, like any child his age, is simply exploring the world. Through the contrast of the grandmother’s loneliness and the child’s innocence, the film explores the differences in perception between the two generations. We witness the old woman’s daily routine while she shares memories, feelings, and her outlook on life. Her story reveals how social isolation can alter our perspective on life, and how the innocence of her grandson becomes her only temporary distraction from loneliness. It is a dual journey that not only uncovers the depth of emotions experienced by women living in isolation but also captures the childlike joy of discovering life.

  • Ana Stefana Pop
    Director
  • Bogdan Georgescu
    Producer
    Cow Bell, Samodiva, Thy Will Be Done, Dojo
  • Alexandru Popa
    Sound
    Samodiva, Thy Will Be Done, Dojo
  • Octavian Saramet
    Editing
    Samodiva, Cry of Silence, Thy Will Be Done, Dojo
  • Bogdan Georgescu
    Colorgrading
    Cow Bell, Samodiva, Thy Will Be Done, Dojo
  • Rebel Noise Films
    Production Company
  • Isabella Ferreira De Sousa
    Coordinating Teacher
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Numa' Ceru' si Pamantu'
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Romania
  • Country of Filming:
    Romania
  • Language:
    Romanian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Zuyd University of Applied Sciences
Director Biography - Ana Stefana Pop

Ana Pop is a third-year student at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in Maastricht. She is studying Interdisciplinary Arts, where she rediscovered her passion for film after exploring different art forms and mediums, focusing mainly on conceptual photography during her first years of university. While she was in the Netherlands, she started to miss her home country, Romania. In her last year of university, she decided to make an ethnographic film about Romania, as a way of coping with homesickness. Numa’ ceru’ și pământu’ is a subtle reflection of Ana’s longing for home.

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Director Statement

I used to have a tendency to romanticize the idea of solitude. Before making this film, if someone would have ever asked me how does peace looks like I would have said a mountain. Alone in the mountains. However, there’s one step between aloneness and loneliness. And loneliness is something I’ve always feared. Becoming aware of this paradox, I started questioning how diversely a human being can experience solitude and what are its consequences. I documented this diversity through the double perspective of Ana and Darius, the protagonists of this film. I am by no means a translator of their realities, but rather a storyteller that strives to capture their experience through my own subjective lenses. Therefore, the artistic representation explores the child’s sense of wonder and focus on the present moment while the grandmother is stuck between past and future. He becomes her escape from loneliness as well as the reason to keep moving forward. Meeting them made me realize that my romanticized notion of solitude was incomplete, meaning that there’s a fine line between the peacefulness of being alone and the despair of being lonely. Ironically enough, I’ve never been completely alone in the mountains. And if I think about it now, I cannot say if solitude is beautiful or terrifying. You can only find out for yourself.