Aferim!

While his New Wave peers focus on contemporary issues, Radu Jude turns his gaze to 1835, bringing the cacophony of Eastern Europe strikingly to life – and making plain that many of its historical dark aspects remain disturbingly relevant today. Evoking the simple beauties of classic Westerns, the story follows a police constable and his son as they search for a runaway Gypsy slave suspected of having an affair with a nobleman’s wife through the feudal landscape of Wallachia. Their picaresque journey reveals a time marked by immeasurable injustice rife with vulgar racism, sexism, prejudices – all interspersed with moments of recognisable human truth, often underscored by bawdy rhymes and lusty jokes.

Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Bear for Best Director