Radu Jude’s 'Kontinental ’25' Examines Guilt and Social Inequality Through a Stark Moral Lens

The Romanian filmmaker's latest feature, premiering at the Berlin Film Festival, critiques systemic cruelty and personal complicity in a rapidly gentrifying society.

Radu Jude's 'Kontinental ’25' focuses on Orsolya, a bailiff grappling with guilt after a homeless man she evicts takes his own life.
The film critiques the dehumanizing effects of neoliberalism, gentrification, and systemic inequality in Romania’s Cluj region.
Shot on an iPhone, the film employs a stark, minimalist style that amplifies its social and moral themes.
Inspired by Roberto Rossellini’s 'Europe ’51,' the narrative explores the inadequacy of individual redemption in the face of systemic failures.
Critics praise the film’s biting commentary, layered storytelling, and Eszter Tompa’s compelling performance as Orsolya.

The Hollywood Reporter