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