L'effondrement du bloc de l'Est

It was interesting to follow Sylvia Nagel's segment on Romania in the five episodes series dedicated by the ARTE channel to the fall of the communism in Eastern Europe 20 years ago. The events in Romania have mislead a number of journalists and commentators and it is seldom a serious and attentive coverage of the country and Europe can be seen out of Romania.

The authors have made quite a good journalistic and research work, and also succeeded to bring to screen a balanced view, giving the right of opinion to all parts involved in the controversial events that happened in December 1989 and the months that followed, without hiding where their sympathies lie. The problem is the format, and the complexity of the events that are being covered. It is difficult in 45-50 minutes to present the background of the events in the situation of Romania during the Ceausescu's years, the events in December, and the turmoil in the months that followed. The film is also undecided on the style mixing documentary scenes (most if not all well known in Romania) with direct testimonies of some of the key players of the Revolution (as the prosecutor in the process of the Ceausescus, or the ex-president Iliescu) or of just simple people who took out to the streets in the hope of changing their lives and the history of their country. Too much in too little time. It ma be that this documentary is good for foreigners who are interested to learn something about these events in a short time, but the real good documentary films about the events in December 1989 in Romania are still to be made.