Media Briefing for Aferim!

　　A media briefing for Aferim!, a Romanian film shortlisted to compete for Tiantan Award, was held at Beijing International Hotel on April 21 at 10:20 am. Ioana Daniela Dr?ghici, the executive producer, was interviewed by the media.

　　Set in 1835 Eastern Europe. The gendarme Costandin and his son cross a barren landscape in the middle of Wallachia. They are hired by a nobleman to find a Gypsy slave who has run away from his estate and is suspected of having an affair with the noble’s wife. No matter what happens, Costandin comments on every situation with a cheery aphorism. However, his son takes a more contemplative view of the world. On their odyssey they encounter people of different nationalities and beliefs, Turks and Russians, Christians and Jews, Romanians and Hungarians. Each of them have prejudices against the others which have been passed down from generation to generation. And even when the “slave” Carfin is found, their adventure is far from over...

　　The script intentionally balances the politically right modern view angle, exposes Romanian slavery in the 19th century with a viewpoint of black banter yet realism. One of its fans said, “There is no hero and beauty, only ugliness and goodness of common people, an ancient world with no redemption, no miracle.”

　　It is worth mentioning that, the lightning design, by means of a light and shadow contrast with black and white images, is full of dramatic tension. Ioana said Radu Jude (director) made use of black and white photography to create a sense of distance, which is not realistic. “Radu Jude wants to make the audience understand that history is always an interpretation of the past in modern position.” This self awareness of interpretation is essentially a common sense, but it is opposite to what I view the film to some extent. I think the director delibrately isolates himself from modern ideas, meanwhile, he stressed that he is discussing the connection between present and past.