Iconoclastic Romanian director Radu Jude is returning to the big screen. Known for impressing critics and sparking controversy with his bold features like Do Not Expect Too Much From The End Of The World and the Golden Berlin Bear-winning Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, he is now set to release his satirical and absurdly comedic new film, Kontinental ’25, in select U.K. theaters on Halloween. Ahead of the premiere, Collider can exclusively share the official trailer, which provides an idiosyncratic look at the moral dilemma the filmmaker has crafted with star Eszter Tompa caught in the middle. Its release will follow its appearance at the BFI London Film Festival, currently running through October 19.
Kontinental ’25 is described as an homage to the Italian neorealist classic Europe ’51, directed by Roberto Rossellini and starring Ingrid Bergman. While that film follows a distraught mother who turns to humanitarianism after her son tragically takes his own life, Jude’s latest follows a bailiff named Orsolya (Tompa), who faces a tragedy of her own connected to her work. She is forced to evict a homeless man in Cluj who, as the trailer shows, has ignored his notice to vacate the basement of a building for far too long. This eviction during the colder months in Romania leads to the man choosing to commit suicide. Orsolya is left feeling overwhelmed with guilt and attempts to resolve her moral crisis.
Despite the grim subject matter and serious social commentary regarding the Romanian housing crisis, the post-socialist economy, and the malaise of a conflicted middle class, the footage addresses everything with humor. It leans into the absurd, featuring scenes of Orsolya praying for guidance next to an animatronic dinosaur and a man kicking a yapping robot dog. As Orsolya grapples with her work, she seeks advice from various sources, including friends who assure her that donating a little to causes that help fellow Romanians, Gazans, Ukrainians, or UNICEF can ease her conscience; a priest who advises her not to exaggerate her guilt; and others who simply tell her that she can’t help everyone. Through drinking, laughing, crying, and self-discovery, she aims to emerge from this situation better than she was.
‘Kontinental ’25’ Has Been an Overwhelming Hit on the Festival Circuit
Jude shot Kontinental ’25 back-to-back with his adaptation of Bram Stoker‘s legendary novel, <em>Dracula</em>, which also features Tompa among its cast. Notably, he completed this project in only ten days using an iPhone without lighting or grip equipment, opting for a more natural aesthetic. The writer-director described this low-budget approach as a moral decision itself, stating, “Many films about poverty or social violence are made with multimillion-dollar budgets. There’s a mismatch sometimes, and I wanted to push against that.” Despite having limited tools at his disposal, the film quickly became a festival favorite, starting by winning the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Screenplay and being nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear for Best Film following its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. All this acclaim has resulted in a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes thus far, with critics praising it as both comedic and devastating.
Kontinental ’25 premieres in U.K. theaters on October 31 after screening at BFI London on October 17/18. Check out the exclusive trailer in the player above.
