Eight Postcards from Utopia

Radu Jude, Christian Ferencz-Flatz / Romania / 2024 / Czech Premiere / 71 min.

synopsis

The thirty years since the execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu have been a period of dynamic cultural, economic and political change for Romania. The transition from state socialism to consumer capitalism has affected society's attitudes towards food, nature, history, death and sex. In eight ironically titled chapters and one epilogue, we see how contemporary television advertisements attempt to sell the new lifestyle and neoliberal ideology. An uncommented strip of clips promoting beer, washing machines or shoe polish is at the same time a showcase of bizarre (male) fantasies and hitherto unfulfilled dreams of a world of unlimited possibilities.

“The point was to have these eight different ways of organising the materials. We tried in each of these chapters to tell a different story.” — Ferencz-Flatz

Quote source: Business Doc Europe

biography

Radu Jude (1977) is an award-winning Romanian director and commentator on the conditions in Romanian society. After studying film directing and making many commercials and short films, he made his feature debut with The Happiest Girl in the World (2009). He won the Golden Bear in Berlin for his satire Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn.

Christian Ferencz-Flatz (1981) is a Romanian philosopher working at the Alexandru Dragomir Institute of Philosophy. He also teaches at the National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest. His research interests include phenomenology, critical theory, philosophy of history, film and new media.