THE DEAD NATION
2018 Films
•
1h 22m
A film constructed using the opposition of what a huge collection of recently discovered glass-plate photographs from the 30s and 40s tell us about Romania and what they do not show.
Direction: Radu Jude
Script: Radu Jude
Production: Ada Solomon
Cinematography: Costică Acsinte
Editing: Cătălin Cristuțiu
Sound: Dana Bunescu
Original Title: ȚARA MOARTĂ
Original Language: Romanian
Film Production Country: Romania
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/taramoarta/
Statement of the Director/s
This is my most overt political and philosophical film. It is political, because it touches a theme which is not usually addressed in our society: the anti-Semitism and the mass killing of the Jewish population during the war, especially on the Eastern front. Until recent years, Romanians used to blame the Germans for it; still, despite the fact that the writings of many historians showed that Romania has its responsibility in the Holocaust (according to Raul Hilberg, the number of the victims is around 400.000), in the collective consciousness of our nation the things didn't change. I felt the need to address this subject, because I am a Romanian and I feel it is an important and urgent theme, since we see the return of extremism in the whole of Europe. It is also a philosophical film, a special kind of found-footage film, which tries to show the limits and the problems of the visual representation of reality, especially of history. A photograph shows us something and at the same time hides what is outside its frame ...
Biography of the Director/s
Born in 1977, Radu Jude directed the short films THE TUBE WITH A HAT (2006), ALEXANDRA (2007) and more
than 150 advertising commercials.
His debut feature film, THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD (2009) won the NHK/Filmmaker Award in Sundance and a Hubert Bals grant and was awarded with the CICAE prize in the Forum section of the Berlinale 2009.
In 2011, he directed and produced the independent medium-length FILM FOR FRIENDS.
EVERYBODY IN OUR FAMILY (2012), his second feature film which premiered in the Berlinale Forum, received the Heart of Sarajevo Film Festival, Le Bayard d’Or for Best Film and Best Actor at Namur IFF, CinEast IFF Grand Prix and was selected in more than 30 film festivals around the world, released in cinemas in France, Holland and Hungary.
His two recent short films SHADOW OF A CLOUD (2013) and IT CAN PASS THROUGH THE WALL (2014) were selected in Cannes - Quinzaine des Realisateurs section. The latest was awarded with a Special Mention.
World-premiered at the 65th Berlinale Competition, Radu Jude’s third feature, AFERIM! (2015) was awarded with the Silver Bear for Best Director in Berlin, Best Film at IndieLisboa, FIPRESCI Prize at Jameson CineFest Miskolci, Audience Award at LET’s CEE Film Festival and Bayard D’Or for Best Photography at Namur IFF.
In 2016 Radu Jude made his debut as theatre director, in the National Theatre of Timișoara adapting for stage Ingmar Bergman`s SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE. In November, he premiered in Bucharest ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL, a theatre adaptation upon Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s script.
His fourth feature, SCARRED HEARTS (2016) received the Special Jury Prize in Locarno Film Festival as well as Don Quijote Award offered by IFSS – International Federation of Film Societies, Silver Astor for Best Director, Signis Award for Best Film in Competition and ADF Award for Best Cinematography in Mar del Plata International Film Festival as well as Special Mention at Haifa IFF. The film was also selected in Sarajevo International
Film Festival’s Competition and BFI’s section “Dare”.
Filmography of the Director/s
2018 - I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians
2017 - The Dead Nation
2016 - Scarred Hearts
2015 - Aferim!
2014 - It Can Pass Through the Wall
2013 - Shadow of a Cloud
2012 - Everybody in Our Family
2011 - Film for Friends
2009 - The Happiest Girl in the World
2007 - Alexandra
2006 - The Tube with a Hat
Awards Won
Astra IFF Sibiu – Best Romanian Documentary, La Orquídea (Cuenca) Film Festival – Best Directing Award
World Sales:
Taskovski Films
Irena Taskovski
C/o Very Ard Times Ltd Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street,
London, EC2N 1HQ, United Kingdom
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: 0040212524867
Website: http://www.taskovskifilms.com/
Press:
ROLLERCOASTER PR
Catalin Anchidin
Bucharest
Bucharest, 040182, Romania
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: 0040746499941
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