Acclaimed Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude is set to debut his latest film, Kontinental 25, at the Berlin Film Festival on February 19. In an unexpected move, Jude also revealed that this low-budget social satire was filmed alongside his upcoming horror-comedy, Dracula Park. While the latter is still in post-production, both projects highlight Jude’s signature blend of dark humor, absurdity, and social critique.
A Dark Satirical Look at Romania’s Housing Crisis
Kontinental 25 explores Romania’s worsening housing crisis through the story of a homeless man seeking shelter in a cellar, only to face eviction by a conflicted bailiff. The film’s inspiration came from a real eviction case, but its relevance has only grown with Romania’s widening wealth gap. Jude draws influence from Roberto Rossellini’s Europe ’51 and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, structuring the film to shift perspectives midway—a technique that enhances its thematic depth.
A No-Budget Cinema Experiment
Instead of using traditional production methods, Jude filmed Kontinental 25 over just 10 to 11 days using an iPhone 15, without lights or elaborate setups. This minimalist approach, reminiscent of his work in Eight Postcards from Utopia, aligns with his belief that production constraints can directly shape a film’s aesthetics.
Dracula Park: A Radical Departure
Unlike the grounded realism of Kontinental 25, Dracula Park embraces a horror-comedy format. Jude describes it as being influenced by Georges Méliès’ fantasy-driven cinema, while Kontinental 25 reflects the more observational style of the Lumière brothers. This contrast suggests an artistic experiment where Jude simultaneously explores both realism and surrealism.
The Role of Transylvania in Kontinental 25
While Dracula Park naturally connects to Transylvania’s vampire mythology, Kontinental 25 engages with the region’s modern-day real estate boom and its historical tensions. Set in Cluj, a city with a contested past between Romania and Hungary, the film touches on contemporary nationalist debates, emphasizing how land ownership remains deeply political.
A Continuation of Jude’s Socialist-Capitalist Critique
Keeping with his tradition of analyzing Romania’s socialist-to-capitalist transition, Jude uses Kontinental 25 to highlight the moral contradictions of market-driven development. The bailiff’s moral conflict over enforcing eviction mirrors systemic paradoxes present in earlier works like Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn.
Independent Cinema in the Digital Age
Jude remains a proponent of low-budget filmmaking at a time when independent cinema faces growing challenges. He argues that smartphones and digital platforms have made filmmaking more accessible than ever, citing Jean-Luc Godard’s remark, “Cinema is easy with the small iPhones.” Whether Kontinental 25 will prove the viability of ultra-low-budget cinema or remain a niche art-house piece remains to be seen.
Looking Ahead
As Kontinental 25 premieres in Berlin, industry observers are eager to see if its stripped-down style enhances its impact or alienates viewers. Meanwhile, Dracula Park remains an enigma—will it offer subversive comedy or unexpected mainstream appeal? Regardless, Jude continues to challenge conventions, proving once again that independent storytelling remains vital in today’s film landscape.
For the full article, visit The Hollywood Reporter.