Archive 2024

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A Cautionary Tale

Ilinca Călugăreanu • Romania, UK • 2023 • 79 min
What is it like to wake up one day and be declared dead by the state? Despite being alive, Constantin Reliu becomes invisible to the administrative system, and the director becomes witness to a lonely and agonizing battle against a Kafkaesque system.
Constantin Reliu has no identity documents and no pension after 25 years of work in Turkey. After being deported, he returned to Romania, where he was declared dead. As the days turn into weeks, Ilinca Călugăreanu's camera captures absurd moments and the director finds herself more and more involved in a sad and increasingly dark story that seems to have no end. After decades of Romanian citizens working abroad, it seems that the Romanian administration is not ready to keep up with the evidence of Romanian citizens who have gone to work.
Original Title:Cum să fiu mort, dacă-s viu?
Director:Ilinca Călugăreanu
Music: Ruben De Gheselle
Sound: Jonathan Stanners, Jaques Pedersen
Editor: Ilinca Călugăreanu
Cinematographer: Ilinca Călugăreanu
Producers: Anamaria Antoci, Mara Adina
Production Company: Tangaj Production, Vernon Films
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