Eight Postcards from Utopia
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
2024 BFI London FF