‘Golda the  biopic of  Golda Meir , Israel’s first female prime minister stars Helen Mirren in the title role and also stars Camille Cottin (House of Gucci, Stillwater)

Actor  Catinca Maria Nistor also has a role  in Golda (as a Nurse)  and took some time out from her day to take part of the Spending Time With… questions.  Have a read of these pre pre prepared questions and Catinca’s great answers

You star in Golda; what was it like working with Helen Mirren?

It was most definitely an upgrade on all levels. To be able to experience her so close was inspiring and uplifting for an up-and-coming actor like me. And it was also my first international experience and the second movie I’ve worked on. So I say it’s a promising start that I’m very grateful for. I’m very grateful to Guy Nattiv for offering me this opportunity. Working with both of them was just a candid, heartfelt experience. I’d embark on any journey with them, any kind of project. In school, someone invited us to reflect and decide upon something: are we doing this for the “us in art” or for the “art in us”.? This would very quickly help us decide how we lay the seeds for our future from then on. Guy and Helen are people who do it to learn more about themselves, to raise awareness or to soothe the other, to move something in the other, to move the world. As am I.

What does it mean to you as an actor to be able to represent your country in a big film alongside A-list stars?

A step forward in representation, a trailblaze that will just make it easier for the next one and the next one and the next one…

If you had to make a ‘bucket list’ of people you’ d love to work with, tell me one name who would be on it?

I would love to work with Judy Dench and Maggie Smith. Cillian Murphy, also. I love being challenged and working alongside people with more experience than me; that’s how you learn, that’s how you develop your craft. That’s also how you grow as a human.

What is your earliest recollection of your love for film/acting?

Must have been about three years old. Growing up, I’ve been a solitary child, with a very rich inner universe. I have always known that my calling is in relation to others, in being of service for others; it is only later that I understood that acting is the complex way in which I can best express myself and my emotions.

What is one of your favourite locations you have filmed or performed in?

I’ve always found a “home” in people, not places, so I guess my favourite location is always the one I’m currently performing in.

Having worked in both theatre and film, which do you prefer and why?

At first, I’d say theatre because it’s live, it’s here and now and because you get direct feedback from the audience, there is a connection pulsating between the actors and the public. But then again, i’ts ephemeral. It dies every night and is reborn the next day. This also means you have a chance to try something different, to change or adjust. You don’t have this privilege with film. But then again, films are everlasting. They will carry your memory, keep you “alive” long after you’re gone.

Lets shine a light on some of your past work. Which of your projects are you most proud of?

I have been fortunate enough to work only on projects I truly wanted to be a part of. In theatre, I guess I’ve been most happy when working on Shakespeare or musicals. But truly, everything I’ve done so far has brought me immense joy, whether it has been theatre, movies, presenting tv shows, radio, dubbing animated movies. They all added up to how I carry myself today.

What is coming next for you/future plans?

Being based in London is something I have been working on for quite a while. Now I am in the process of slowly, but surely, exchanging – like foreign currency – my Romanian career into an international one. So, naturally, I am keen on doing everything I’ve stated in my previous answer
– in English!  I had a simple dream of waking up each morning – I knew exactly how my kitchen would look like – cooking breakfast, and then going to the theatre and doing the same thing again and again for months and months on. In Romania, we don’t have a continuous run; we function on repertoire, which means we get to play the same show 3-4 times/month, the good part being that it can go on for even decades… I have almost fulfilled that dream.  To me, London is the pinnacle of performing arts, THE place to be and a city that has always been so good to me. I am open and receiving to everything wonderful coming my way!