[the-block--Film-list-image]

2016 / 60 minutes

Directed by
Maria Șalaru
Anthropologist
Country of production
Romania

From neighbourly disputes over garlic-heavy cooking to memories of Ceaușescu’s heatless winters, "The Block" explores the rich social and material universe of a Romanian apartment building. It follows the story of the block’s administrator, in his effort to mediate relationships between neighbours and maintain peace and order. In doing so, it crayons the rich nuances of the inhabitants’ everyday lives. The block comes to life as its inhabitants constantly reshape it to defy the passing of time, while its failing infrastructure encroaches on their neighbourly relations. This is a film about people’s homes, and the spaces in between.

In the 2017 RAI Film Fest Student
Language and subtitles
Romanian with English Subtitles
Location(s) depicted
Piatra-Neamț (Romania)
Region
Eastern Europe and Baltic States
Country
Romania
Keywords
Urban Post-communism Infrastructure / Transport