Eight Postcards from Utopia

Eight Postcards from Utopia

71' 2024
dir.: Christian Ferencz-Flatz, Radu Jude

Audience favorite Radu Jude humorously examines the transformation of the 1990s as told through period TV ads.

Radu Jude ("Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World") transports us back to a decade when everything seemed possible. The 1990s in Central Europe was a period of redefinition— as walls crumbled, the region buzzed with hope, pop culture, and unrestrained ambition. Yet, on the flip side of newfound freedom lay mafia-style hits, scams, fleeting political careers, poverty, and rampant chaos. Jude’s brilliant documentary captures it all, pieced together from the era’s commercials that mercilessly bombard contemporary viewers with a sensory overload. Patriotic roars from “Greater Romania” supporters blend with ads for phone sex lines, banks promising instant wealth, and enticing luxury gadgets. Are these nostalgic glimpses into a more optimistic past or an unsettling preview of the consumerist dictatorship yet to come?   

Konrad Wirkowski 

Festivals
2024 Locarno
2024 BFI London FF
Tickets and passes
71' 2024 Romania
Director
Christian Ferencz-Flatz, Radu Jude
Editing
Catalin Cristutiu
Production
Saga Film
Screenings