Al Este Festival: "Kontinental ’25" by Radu Jude, the Marathon of Capitalism in Romania
June 11, 2025
By Sofía Alvarez Salas
June 11, 2025
By Sofía Alvarez Salas
The latest film by the provocateur Radu Jude premiered in Peru thanks to the Al Este Film Festival, distributed by Luxbox. The feature, which had its world premiere at the Berlinale, tells the story of Orsolya, a bailiff who struggles with grief and guilt after the suicide of a man she was supposed to evict in Cluj-Napoca, the capital of Romania’s Transylvania region.
Just like in the rest of his filmography, Jude does not hesitate to expose the irony of Romanian society at every turn. The contrast between a beautiful city, with classical buildings and parks integrated with the latest technology, opposes our first protagonist: a homeless man wandering the streets asking for help from anyone who might give it. The director begins and continues with a strong critique of capitalism in this era, even in countries that belonged to the communist bloc just a few years ago.
The first major plot twist bluntly exposes the consequences of this system, where modernity crushes those who fail to keep up with the relentless wave of production. Even empathy, under Jude’s gaze, seems like a commodity that only some can afford.
Orsolya, the bailiff in question, cannot overcome the guilt surrounding the suicide. Her constant martyrdom contrasts with her environment, which, through mockery or dismissal, tries to move past the issue. In the capitalism Jude portrays, there is no time for reflection: everything moves at high speed, and falling behind is a significant risk. It is no surprise that the protagonist herself opposes the rushed construction of new buildings in her city, which continue to grow, squeezing residents into ever-smaller living spaces. Likewise, mindsets take on these harsh tones, and we witness widespread xenophobic and racist discourses aimed at anyone who is not a national.
Shot entirely on an iPhone, Kontinental ’25 also emphasizes the volatility of our times. Jude has said that this technical choice allowed him to get straight to the essence of the story, which is imbued with references. Some are subtle, like the one he mentions in interviews regarding the title, referencing Rossellini’s Europa ’51, which also deals with guilt after a suicide. Others are more explicit, such as the characters’ discussion of Schindler’s List, highlighting the incoherence of the protagonist’s guilt in front of a system that cannot be changed. But perhaps the most ironic—and quintessentially Radu Jude—reference is to Wim Wenders’ latest film, Perfect Days: when talking about a different homeless man, the protagonist’s friend says she wanted to call the main character to clean the street where the homeless person was.
Perhaps the trivialization of such a profound film as Perfect Days describes Jude’s humor and the coldness of the average spectator. It is impossible to feel true empathy for the character because it becomes an act of self-valorization by their environment, a way to justify oneself while living in the privileges of their position. Radu Jude puts his finger on the wound once again, giving us a feature film that offers plenty to discuss.
