Virtual Friday Night Films at the Wende: 12:08 East of Bucharest

A television talk show host, an alcoholic high school teacher, and an old man assemble in a drab Romanian town for a Christmastime TV special about the revolution that happened 16 years before. “Was there, or was there not a revolution in our town?” the host asks. He tries to get the truth about whether the townspeople began protesting before or after 12:08 p.m. on December 22, 1989, the exact moment that leader Nicolae Ceaușescu was ousted amid violent upheaval in Bucharest. This critically acclaimed deadpan comedy takes a satirical look at how we remember turning points in history, and how we forget them. Director Corneliu Porumboiu (who was playing ping pong at 12:08) said his film works against the concept that a revolution changes everything overnight.

Watch on Kanopy, free with a library card. Get immediate access to a LAPL e-card or LA County Library Digital Card.

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Virtual Film Picks are inspired by the in-person Friday Night Films at the Wende program series. This selection is part of a curated list of weekly movie suggestions that can be watched at home, in conjunction with #WendeOnline.