For the first time in Greece, the 13th AAGFF presents a retrospective tribute to Radu Jude, one of the most important representatives of contemporary Romanian cinema, who will attend the festival and give a masterclass. Featuring nine feature films and four shorts, the tribute brings together an extensive sample of the award-winning director's filmography, highlighting the multiple aspects of his diverse oeuvre (fiction, documentaries, film essays).

Jude’s work is characterized by a unique blend of black humor, sharp socio-political commentary –especially on contemporary capitalism– and critical reflection on Romanian identity and history. Initially an assistant director on films by Costa Gavras and Cristi Puiu, Jude is undeniably linked to the Romanian New Wave, signing landmark works that have garnered international recognition (The Tube with a Hat: Best Film Award at Sundance, 2006, The Happiest Girl in the World: CICAE Award at the Berlinale, 2009, Everybody in Our Family: Best Film Award at the Sarajevo Film Festival, 2012). However, he later diverges from the realistic representation of post-socialist Romanian society to confront its history. In unconventional period films like Aferim! (Silver Bear for Best Direction at the Berlinale, 2015) and Scarred Hearts (Special Jury Prize in Locarno, 2016), Jude explores collective and historical memory by addressing themes of racism, social inequalities, and the rise of fascism, employing a strong satirical tone in one instance and a lyrical style in the other.

In 2018, Jude began exploring innovative narrative structures that blend fiction, documentary, and essayistic writing, especially with the thought-provoking and reflective film I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians (Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary). Jude was awarded the Golden Bear at the Berlinale in 2021 for his subversive satire of contemporary capitalism Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn. He also received the Special Jury Prize in Locarno in 2023 for the masterful dark comedy Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World. This year, Jude comes back with two film essays that will be presented in their Greek premiere as part of the retrospective: Eight Postcards from Utopia and Sleep #2.

Program curation, texts, coordination: Nepheli Gambade