Following his artistic quest from Police, Adjective / Politist, adjectiv (42 KM FILM), Porumboiu wrote a story about a policeman called Cristi, who reaches the La Gomera island in Spain in order to learn El Silbo, a whistled language used by the inhabitants over a distance of up to five kilometres. Cristi aims at freeing Zsolt, a controversial businessman arrested in Bucharest. It is the first film that Porumboiu shot outside Romania. Shooting started on 18 February and wrapped at the end of April 2018. The film will be released in Romania in the autumn of 2019.

Porumboiu said in a statement during the shooting that he is interested in a “possible use of the old language El Silbo in a world where communication is more and more controlled and there is a direct conflict between verbal and non-verbal”.

The cast includes Catrinel Marlon, Rodica Lazăr and Sabin Tambrea. The film was acquired by MK2 Films during the shooting.

The Whistlers is a coproduction between 42 KM FILM (Romania), Les Films du Worso (France), Komplizen Film (Germany) and Arte Grand Accord. It was supported by the Romanian Film Centre and Eurimages.

Production Information:

Producer:
42 KM FILM (Romania)

Coproducers:
Les Films du Worso (France)
Komplizen Film (Germany)
Arte Grand Accord (France, Germany)

Credits:
Director: Corneliu Porumboiu
Scriptwriter: Corneliu Porumboiu
DoP:Tudor Mircea
Art director: Simona Pădurețu
Artistic director: Arantxa Etcheverria Porumboiu
Cast: Vlad Ivanov, Catrinel Menghia (Marlon), Rodica Lazăr, Sabin Tambrea