The actor Victor Rebengiuc was honored by the Initiative Association for European Democratic Culture (ICDE) with the European Romania Award 2025. President Nicușor Dan, who awarded him the award on Thursday, December 4, spoke about the need for real models that Romania has.
“It is a great honor to be here to award this prize to a personality of our contemporary history. We, Romanians, have the disease of turning many living things into templates: Eminescu, the unique poet, no one reads him anymore.
This is what happens with democracy and with Europe, which has become a template. We take some European money and we don’t have to say anything. It’s not like that at all. Europe is a living organism, with its doubts and debates. Is it good or not good that we went too far with the environmental policy and that affected our competitiveness.
I believe that if we want Romania to count in the EU, we must connect to the themes that this living organism has, and that is why it is important that an Association like the one that organizes this event exists and provokes debates about Europe”declared Nicuşor Dan at the ceremony that took place at the Romanian Athenaeum.
About the relationship with the film, Nicusor Dan confessed that “The Forest of the Hanged” “it’s a film I don’t have the courage to see a second time.”
“The emotion I experienced when I saw it was so strong. I’m afraid that seeing it a second time will spoil it. I estimated that the best film is “Reconstituirea”. Mr. Rebengiuc did not play there.
After reflection, I think that “Moromeții” is the best film, because it is a form of universality that I think none of the other Romanian films have found”.
“We urgently need models. Without question, Mr. Rebengiuc is a model”
Also, the president appreciates in Victor Rebengiuc that he is dedicated and honest towards his roles, that there is always a tension between the actor and the character, and that his success did not make him get comfortable; he continues to work and take responsibility for every role he plays.
“An even more important thing, in my opinion, is responsibility towards society. Because nothing is simpler in the relationship with society than to do your job and ignore everything else. I was not rector at UNATC. As rector at UNATC, it is a form of responsibility that I want as many Romanians as possible to assume, to succeed in taking the step in a social area that is not necessarily the profession for which they have prepared.
Mr. Rebengiuc did this in the 90s. Director at Bulandra Theatrehere I know, being subordinate to the City Hall, I know how difficult it is to be a Theater director and how much it takes away from your creative potential. And, more than that, to assume an opinion in the public space. Again, what could be simpler, you are a successful actor, everyone appreciates you, but the moment you say some things, you take it upon yourself to tell some truths, and everyone, the press starts criticizing you, it’s not easy, but if we want this society to develop, we must have the courage to say what we think about our society in order to manage to heal it”. added Nicușor Dan.
Nicușor Dan conveys that we live in times where moral standards are being questioned and we need models. He considers that Victor Rebengiuc is a model.
“I think we need role models, some living people, with their doubts, with their weaknesses. I would like to see these living models, to see them more often in television studios, because, unfortunately, at this moment 90% of the people who appear know what they are going to say before they open their mouths.
If we want to have a debate among ourselves, I think it has to be real, with real people. If you can do this, I as a citizen, in this society, would be very happy”, was the president’s call to the press.
