Matei-Alexandru Mocanu

Faces of
Danube Delta
Creative Pitch
 Danube Delta
The waters of the Danube, which flow into the Black Sea, form the largest and best
preserved of Europe's deltas. The Danube delta hosts over 300 species of birds as
well as 45 freshwater fish species in its numerous lakes and marshes. The Danube
Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best
preserved on the continent. It is part of UNESCO World Heritage and it's home to
communities of Russian fishermen who migrated to Romania from Ukraine and Crimean
Tatars. A multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural melting pot, the place is rich in
history. People here live almost archaic lives - they live on water/ on the riverbed, they
travel by boat, they preserve their ancient rites while struggling with the challenges of
the modern world. Since it's a Delta, mosquitoes pose a big threat to humans in this
wildlife-rich area. They're more than a nuisance, they're a pest.

Location
Family
The Tatars
Portraits
The Tatars in Danube Delta (in Dobruja
county) are an exciting mix of nomadic
culture and settlers. While a great majority
of them are Muslim, some of them are
Christian Orthodox. They raise cattle and
horses like their Mongolian ancestors, but
have taken up other trades too - more
appropriate for this part of the world
where they live now: fishing, hunting,
boating. In the following pages I will select
a few portrait shots of Tatars & family
portraits, to see for yourselves why I am
fascinated by these people. It's not just
their exotic looks that fascinate me, it's
also their cultural identity (threatened by
the lure of Turkey's consumerism - where
many Tatars choose to migrate).
Portrait Shots
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Locations
Beautiful outdoors,
the Danube Delta
The locations where I want to shoot the
portraits are rural communities set in
wilderness.
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 References
(Stylish documentary approach)
A feature length music documentary I made for HBO:
https://vimeo.com/72658504
Notice the tight close up's, the colours and the wrinkles

A music video made by THE BLAZE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54fea7wuV6s

(please notice the floaty camera - shot on Arri Mini / steadicam - and the
portraits of sleeping people: 1:48 - 2:05, but the entire video has just the right
vibe!)
Thank You