The New Year that never came

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