Aferim!

(50th KVIFF) A western trip to a Romanian village in the first half of the 19th century. Very credible and very particular. The creators were surprisingly successful at recreating the life of that place during that time (or they were surprisingly successful at giving the impression that they were successful at recreating this reality – I can’t tell, I’m not a historian or an expert in Romania :D). The humour is effective mainly because of how they speak about things in a way that wouldn’t be possible today. An interesting story, though it could have been a little shorter. 75 % (11/07/2015)

A consistently black and white caricature of xenophobia and nationalist self-deception, set in Romania in the first half of the 19th century. An ironic smirk at common sense and its tendency to cover up its own moral failures and concessions with a barrage of aphorisms in which the common man is beaten and the bastards are exclusively the others. A consistently lethargic "eastern" that tapped into my affection for a similar type of story, useless characters and their propensity for sentiment over their own destiny. #kviff2015 (12/07/2015)

At a time when top politics is run by redneck pundits who use their nationality as the main argument for their own superiority, Aferim! is a welcome biting critique of the immutability of the subject, no matter how much more advanced we consider ourselves to be than 200 years ago. The emphasis on national identity, the fear of everything that is not ours, the chauvinism, corruption, and human pettiness seemingly hiding behind costumes, pendants, songs, traditions, and aphorisms that cannot lie when passed down from generation to generation. The deep-rootedness of human fear and resentment taken by Radu Jude from historical texts and songs, which is most frightening by virtue of the fact that this may be a historical film, but it could just as well be prescient science fiction for Eastern Europe (and therefore for us). It is not even remotely a comedy. (27/01/2016)

This film just wasn’t my kind of thing. It’s probably not the film’s fault, I just made the wrong choice. It was full of lengthy conversations about topics that I didn’t find interesting. Thirty minutes into the film, I realized that I didn't really care if the runaway was caught or if he escaped. I was just hoping for it to end soon. (01/08/2016)

After a long time, a movie came out that once again perfectly suited the black and white execution. With modern technology, black and white simply looks beautiful. The film, which seems like a conversational drama on horses, ultimately turns out to be quite a cruel film showing what it can also mean to go against one's master. This is not just about two riders. (21/05/2016)