Aferim! (2015) is a Romanian movie written and directed by Radu Jude.
Aferim! is a truly unique film. According to the introduction (by Yuriy Reznik), the Roma (called Crows by the Romanians) were slaves in Romania for centuries. (Slavery of the Roma was not outlawed until 1856.) This historical fact has been forgotten, presumably because it was actively suppressed. In fact, Aferim! is the first and only modern movie to show us Roma slavery.
The movie is extraordinarily complex, but the plot is basic. A Roma slave named named Carfin Pandolean (Toma Cuzin) has escaped. Constable Costandin (played by Teodor Corban) has been sent to find the slave and bring him back to the local nobleman. The constable takes his son, Ionita (Mihai Comanoiu) along with him as his assistant.
What follows is a film of immense beauty (at times), with moments of fascinating folkloric tradition, and moments of extraordinary brutality.
In their odyssey, father and son meet many strange characters. I have no way of knowing whether director Jude is accurately showing us what Romania was like in 1835. However, the movie has the feel of reality about it.
Constable Costandin is basically a decent human being. However, he has a job to do, and he's going to do it. He knows that, in this case, the job is an extremely dirty one. He worries about it, but he does it anyway.
Constandin is not an educated man, but he has an endless fund of folk wisdom, which he dispenses whenever it's needed. At one point he says something like, "We have the life we have, not the life we might want." That's true of almost everyone in the movie.
The wild scenery of Romania is strikingly photographed at first. Each frame looks as if it could be made into a still photograph that would compare with a photograph by Ansel Adams. It might have been my imagination, but it seemed to me that the cinematography got rougher and harsher as the movie progressed.
We saw this film as part of the Rochester Premieres series at the excellent Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY. It won't work as well on the small screen, but if that's your only option, take it. This is a must-see film for anyone interested in modern European cinema.
Warning: the action is set in Romania in the 1830's. It's a harsh, violent society. Be prepared for some horrible events.
Aferim! is a truly unique film. According to the introduction (by Yuriy Reznik), the Roma (called Crows by the Romanians) were slaves in Romania for centuries. (Slavery of the Roma was not outlawed until 1856.) This historical fact has been forgotten, presumably because it was actively suppressed. In fact, Aferim! is the first and only modern movie to show us Roma slavery.
The movie is extraordinarily complex, but the plot is basic. A Roma slave named named Carfin Pandolean (Toma Cuzin) has escaped. Constable Costandin (played by Teodor Corban) has been sent to find the slave and bring him back to the local nobleman. The constable takes his son, Ionita (Mihai Comanoiu) along with him as his assistant.
What follows is a film of immense beauty (at times), with moments of fascinating folkloric tradition, and moments of extraordinary brutality.
In their odyssey, father and son meet many strange characters. I have no way of knowing whether director Jude is accurately showing us what Romania was like in 1835. However, the movie has the feel of reality about it.
Constable Costandin is basically a decent human being. However, he has a job to do, and he's going to do it. He knows that, in this case, the job is an extremely dirty one. He worries about it, but he does it anyway.
Constandin is not an educated man, but he has an endless fund of folk wisdom, which he dispenses whenever it's needed. At one point he says something like, "We have the life we have, not the life we might want." That's true of almost everyone in the movie.
The wild scenery of Romania is strikingly photographed at first. Each frame looks as if it could be made into a still photograph that would compare with a photograph by Ansel Adams. It might have been my imagination, but it seemed to me that the cinematography got rougher and harsher as the movie progressed.
We saw this film as part of the Rochester Premieres series at the excellent Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY. It won't work as well on the small screen, but if that's your only option, take it. This is a must-see film for anyone interested in modern European cinema.
Warning: the action is set in Romania in the 1830's. It's a harsh, violent society. Be prepared for some horrible events.