The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceaușescu(Autobiografia lui Nicolae Ceaușescu)

Without the hastily convened trial shortly before the 1989 execution of the condescending Ceauşescu and his wife that bookends the documentary, it could easily be mistaken for state propaganda created in the dictator’s own honour. By wading through more than 1,000 hours of footage from the Romanian National Film Archive, Ujică creates a captivating montage epic that chronicles the rise and grim fall of the iron ruler, who mythologised his own reign with tributes from figures like Jimmy Carter and Mao Zedong. Allowing the images to speak for themselves, Ujică deconstructs a public portrait while offering a searing commentary on totalitarianism with exquisite subtlety.