Anul Nou care n-a fost

This movie feels like 4 shorts mixed into one long feature, but not in a bad way. It presents 4 different stories during the last days of Ceausescu's regime. The director gracefully navigates through the material and unveils many social mechanisms, fears and motivations. Although there are signs of living in an absurd political regime, permeated by the fear of State Security, and everybody tries not to make the slightest mistake and look good in the eyes of their superiors, nevertheless there is kindness, emotion and empathy between people. It is a movie about how the small folk can swim across the turbulent waters of history, so to say, without losing their hope and sense of humor. Which reminds me: this is really fun to watch, it has many good lines and hilarious situations. Thumbs up for the director, the cast and the whole team for this piece of art!

My father tried two times to cross the border (with his friend) during communism, the first time being caught at the border with Yugoslavia and 2nd time being caught in Greece, sent back to Romania, and beaten and interrogated exactly like in the movie. Yesterday was a very special night since I assisted at a very special screening together with my father.

In the past years, I was disgusted with any subject related to communism since I hated so much the consequences supported by so many generations of Romanians. We still suffer because of this past dictator, even the ones born after the revolution.

Now I see the importance of going back 'there' to remind us not to repeat the same mistakes.

Very emotional film for the entire sold-out cinema hall... One of the best movies ever made after the Romanian Revolution (1989).

Is an extraordinary movie that captures the essence of the late 1989, just before the Romanian Revolution. The story follows the lives of people living under Ceausescu's regime, just one day before the events that would change the course of Romania history. The film accurately portrays the tension, fear, and uncertainty that gripped everyone during that time.

I was only 6 years old when the Revolution happened, but many scenes in the movie brought back memories of that era. Although I didn't fully understand everything back then, I remember the dramatic atmosphere and the feeling of unease everywhere around me.

While the beginning may feel a bit slow, which is often the case with Romanian films, the ending is powerful and unforgettable. I can say that the movie conveys a deep and clear message, especially for those who lived through those times.

I very rarely give 10 stars to a movie. But this is the best film about the Romanian Revolution that I have seen. It is exceptional in its achievement, in its settings and for the performance of the actors. Numerous films have been made about the Romanian Revolution, films that featured gunfire, blood, screaming, mayhem, and flags cut through the middle of them. But this film shows something else about the Romanian Revolution: the reasons, the inner springs that triggered it. The film shows the oppressive state of mind, the feeling that "it's not possible anymore" and the absurdity of the communist society. It is definitely a film that should not be missed!!!

The scenes in which the border guard beats the student should explain to Mr. Tudor Giurgiu why the population and the army hated the Security and the Militia so much...

I hope it will be seen by many which dont understand the life under an opressive regime. Very strong acting and well built story presenting , sometimes with excellent humour, the real challenges of the life under Ceausescu's dictatorship.. The movie tells several stories which describe very well the context of the period, how difficult was to keep your own values and how easy was to become paranoid. Low budget film which help the acting performance and story to be the in the center of the project.

Adrian Vancica has an Oscar performance around the Christmas letter of his little son ! I hope it will be Romania's proposal for the Foreign film at Oscars.