by Bogdan Muresanu
English
German
The year is 1989, it is the end of December in Romania, and the atmosphere is explosive. While the communist dictator Ceausescu heralds the Christmas festivities, the everyday lives of Romanians continue: Workers protest, a father has disagreements with his son, and plays keep being censored. The film elegantly interweaves six stories to paint a picture of a country on the eve of a revolution. An authentic time portrait that shows how little was needed at the time to break the camel's back and bring down Ceausescu's communist regime. 'This brilliantly stagen romanian ensemble-drama not oly shows the paralyzing terror of Ceausescu's dictatorship, but also triumphs with a closing scene, which is among the best work I have seen this year.' – Anja Fröhner
Bogdan Muresanu is a Romanian director, producer and screenwriter. His first short film, HALF SHAVED, won the Audience Award at the Anonimul International Film Festival and was showcased at festivals worldwide. In 2020, his short film THE CHRISTMAS GIFT won the Best Film Award at the European Film Awards and was among the top 10 finalists at the Oscars. With THE NEW YEAR THAT NEVER CAME, Muresanu makes his feature film debut. THE NEW YEAR THAT NEVER CAME (2024) / THE CHRISTMAS GIFT (2018) / HALF SHAVED (2012)
