
1968,TheSocialistRepublicofRomania.Womencatchuponthelatesttendenciesinbeachwear,theyounghippiesofHamburgareharshlycriticizedbyRomanianstudents,whileNicolaeCeaușescureadsthefamousdefiancespeechagainsttheinterventionoftheWarsawPacttroopsinCzechoslovakia.FloatingsolemnlyoverallthisisTheInternationale,sungonastadiumbyacrowdofpioneersdressedinwhiteshirtsandredties.Acertaintyforeachprobability:thedocumentaryisatthesametimeahistorylessonandanideologicalwarningsign,thedirector’sendeavourpermanentlydrawsourattentiontothefunctionsofthepropagandafilm,yetwithouttarnishingthefascinationthatdwellsinthecoreoftheimages,thatofthefiguresthatwaveatusfromapastburiedincommonplacesandpoliticalpartipris.Frombehindtheideologicalfaçade,throughbitsandpiecescroppingupfromunderneaththeidealistic-bombasticdiscourse,abygoneworldisrevealed,onethatremainedcaptiveinthearchivesoftheSahiastudios.BetweencultivatingtensofvarietiesofrosesonthesoilofDobrogeaandtheindustrialpetrochemicalbrocadefitsanentirehistory.