Ana Vasilachi, a Moldovan who held a number of public positions in the past, including that of Chisinau city councilor, Member of Parliament, deputy minister of labor and then of defense, has been invited to play the role of Moldova’s foreign minister in a Romanian-Italian film made for charitable purposes.
“I was lucky to be offered the public position of foreign minister, not in the Republic of Moldova, but in Italy, as an actress in the Italian-Romanian film Leon, which is the first international Italian-Romanian film. This film is not only significant and historical in my life, but also aims to bring back the idea of the union of Bessarabia with Romania, thus bringing Bessarabia home”, said Ana Vasilachi during a press conference in Chisinau.
"I hope this film will contribute to the promotion of the image of the Republic of Moldova on the external level”, added the ‘foreign minister’.
In the first part of the franchise, the title character, played by the director-producer Virgil Asoltanei himself, goes all Commando to rescue his daughter from the clutches of the Italian mafia. The sequel is still in filming stages, and the content of the script remains a secret for now. In addition to talents from the Romanian and Moldovan diaspora in Italy, the film also features Italian actor Giuseppe Cascella.
Appearing via Zoom in the press conference, Virgil Asoltanei praised Ana Vasilachi’s beauty and intelligence. “I am very proud and honored to have Ms. Ana as a lead actress in our diaspora-made film. In the first few days of shooting here abroad, she played her role very decently and very beautifully”.
“I started this international project two years ago (...) with the first part, which, thank God, is starting to be a great success,” added the director-producer. According to Virgil Asoltanei, “Leon” ran in theaters in Romania and Italy and was broadcast by several television channels, including Sky, Digital, and Digitale Terrestre Italia. The director-producer says that he is waiting for collaboration proposals from the Republic of Moldova as well.
According to the makers of the film, the money raised from screening the films will be donated to people fighting cancer, Virgil Asoltane being a survivor himself. “If the good God lets us have success and gains, we want to help children with cancer, because I also underwent cancer surgery four times, I battled with this disease and I won’t forget what I went through. As long as I live, I want to help, to do good”, added Virgil Asoltanei.
