1835—a police officer and his son travel across the Romanian countryside in pursuit of a runaway gypsy slave. In their journey they encounter people of different religions and nationalities, each with their own prejudices and opinions on the state of the country. Beautifully shot in black-and-white, this road movie incorporates humor and the absurd to deliver a stunning tale. Alternating between action scenes and surreal dialogue, Radu Jude, one of the youngest new faces of Romanian cinema, delivers a Romanian Western that is more than a gripping look at the political and religious landscape of 19th century Eastern Europe. It approaches issues of slavery and racism in a way that resonates dangerously close to home. In the words of Radu Jude, “When we speak of the past, in fact we speak of our perspective of the past.”

—Frédéric Boyer

Directed by

Radu Jude