30 years of democracy: Six movies to watch to better understand Romania’s communist past

Romania made its first steps towards democracy 30 years ago, when the Revolution of 1989 put an end to the communist regime in the country. A troubled period in Romania’s history, the communist era has been a subject of interest for many local filmmakers, who have tried to explain in their movies how was it like to live in Romania when the communists were making the rules.

We’ve selected six movies to watch to better understand Romania’s communist past. Only one of them is a documentary (which is worth watching even for the single reason of seeing dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in rather funny situations) while the rest are feature films focused on sad, absurd or funny aspects of communist Romania.

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (4 Luni, 3 Saptamani si 2 Zile)

This movie from 2007 is not only one of Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s best feature films but also one of the Romanian productions highly appreciated by critics and the international movie scene and media. The film won the Palme d’Or in 2007, and it later received several awards as best film of the year from various international associations of film critics, and also won the European Film Academy awards for Best Film and Best Director.

The film takes viewers to the 1980s communist Romania, when abortion was illegal in the country. It tells the drama of a young girl seeking to have an abortion during those very complicated times, with the help of a friend. Both teenage girls go through horrific and uncomfortable moments as they turn to a dubious man for help.

Tales from the Golden Age (Amintiri din Epoca de Aur)

This is another movie directed by Cristian Mungiu that focuses on the communist-era Romania but, unlike 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, this one treats aspects of that regime with black humor. Other directors of the film are Ioana Uricaru, Hanno Hofer and Constantin Popescu.

The movie, which is split into two parts, is a collection of urban legends from the communist times in Romania that come to show some of the absurdities of the regime. As for the title, the phrase “Golden Age” was used by the communist propaganda to describe how good the Romanians’ life was under the rule of Nicolae Ceausescu.

The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu (Autobiografia lui Nicolae Ceausescu)

Released in 2010, this is one of the best Romanian documentaries focusing on the rule of communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu. It covers almost 25 years in the life of Ceausescu, showing his rise to power, his increasing delusion of grandeur and his ultimate fall.