Nouvelles de Roumanie

Don't be fooled by the outdated style and the weathered video texture of this extraordinary oddity. You, who choose to watch this tape, intrepid spectator, don't let yourself be discouraged by the semi-fictional setting of the most candid clumsiness and naivety which briefly inaugurates this surprising documentary. Because the images that follow and the first-person account given by this videographer (who we imagine to be a budding artist) will nail you to your seat with a force that is as breathtaking as it is unexpected. The images, testimonies, and encounters that Constantin Ivanovici collected during his trip to the country of his youth when the state had just been liberated from the yoke of Ceaucescu, are of staggering power, as are the objects that he brought back as mementos. One does not expect this crudest truth in the least. And, suddenly, the dozens of incredible and terrible little stories that are told to us, with the most disarming simplicity and openness, thoroughly captivate us with their poignant authenticity so much so that we emerge literally blown away from this astonishing journey. You won't regret this detour to early 1990s Romania, from which we could - and should, in fact - to this day learn so many lessons.

Claire Valade
Critic and programmer