Directed by Radu Jude, drama, 140 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by Radu Jude
With Ioana Iacob, Alexandru Dabija, Alex Bogdan, Ilinca Manolache, Șerban Pavlu
Karlovy Vary’s Grand Prix winner, from the acclaimed and provocative Romanian director - Radu Jude, a CinEast regular (Everybody in Our Family - Grand Prix, Aferim!, Scarred Hearts). The film follows Mariana, a young theatre director, and her ambition and efforts to reconstruct a historical event from 1941 – the II World War Odessa massacre, an ethnic killing of tens of thousands of Ukrainian Jews. Mariana has a drive for authenticity and a mission to show the truth in re-enacting the event, which doesn’t meet the expectations of the local city hall. Radu Jude again tackles a difficult (forgotten?) past of his native Romania with a dose of troubling humour. Sharp dialogues and engaging and complex characters makes it one of the most outstanding and original films circulating the festivals this year.
Awards
Karlovy Vary IFF 2018 (Grand Prix, Europa Cinemas Label award)
Romania’s Oscar candidate 2019