Romanian movie “Aferim!”, directed by Radu Jude, is one of the 23 films selected in the official competition of the Berlin International Film Festival 2015, which takes place between February 5-15 in Germany’s capital, according to an official announcement from the organisers.

“Aferim!” is a historical movie placed in XIX century Wallachia (Tara Romaneasca). It tells the story of a tax collector and administrator (zapciu) working for a local lord and his son in their quest to find a runaway slave. Romanian actor Teodor Corban plays the tax collector and Cuzin Toma plays the slave.

Movies from Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hong Kong/China, Italy, Iran, Japan, Kosovo, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, the People’s Republic of China, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, United Kingdom, Ukraine, the USA and Vietnam, have been selected in this year’s competition.

Some of the main contenders for the Golden Bear are "Queen of Desert", directed by Werner Herzog, "Taxi" by Jafar Panahi, "Eisenstein in Guanajuato", by Peter Greenaway), and Terrence Malick’s "Knight of Cups”.

Romanian director Radu Jude’s previous movie “Everybody in Our Family” (Toata lumea din familia noastra) was first screened in the Forum section of the Berlin Film Festival, in 2012.

Another Romanian movie, “Why me/De ce eu”, directed by Tudor Giurgiu, will compete in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival. The movie is based on a real story, of a young, idealistic Romanian prosecutor who tries to solve a complicated corruption case.

The most recent Romanian movie to participate in the official competition of the Berlin Film Festival was “The Child’s Pose/Pozitia Copilului”, by Calin Peter Netzer, which actually won the Golden Bear in 2013.

Romanian film based on prosecutor suicide, included in Berlinale section this year

editor@romania-insider.com