"I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians"

Some people view the Romanian army’s mass murder of Jews in Odessa in 1941 as the start of the Holocaust. A statement by then prime minister Antonescu gives the title to this deftly structured political drama.

Idealistic theatre director Mariana is working on an outdoor play based on the events referred to above. A nerve-wracking process in which she has to deal with extras refusing to work with Roma actors and local public officials seeking to sanitise the production. The present proves closer to the past than Mariana would like.

Intense political-philosophical discussions combine with historical footage, literary quotes and Mariana's own problems to provide a layered perspective. The film develops into a sometimes wry, light and intimate meditation that is realistic in tone. Mariana could even be seen as an alter ego for the filmmaker, as he takes stock of today’s Romania. Grand Prix Karlovy Vary 2018. 

As part of Critics’ Choice, the screening of Mon 28 Jan, 16:30 will be preceded by a video essay by Chloé Galibert-Laîné & Kevin B. Lee.