Kapitalism our improved formule
(Roumanie, France, Belgique, 2011, 76 min)De Alexandru Solomon
In Romanian with English subtitles.
Alexandru Solomon “invites” Ceaușescu back to Romania, 20 years after his execution. The dictator symbolically haunts contemporary capitalism. The film exposes powerful elites and portrays a new ruling class under “capitalism with a K”. Even 16 years after its premiere, it remains surprisingly relevant.
About the film
Twenty years after the execution of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, Romania appears to be a modern capitalist democracy filled with advertisements, luxury shops and cars. Behind this façade, however, lie poverty, crumbling infrastructure and extreme inequality, with much of the country’s wealth concentrated in the hands of a small elite.
Director Alexandru Solomon interviews multimillionaires with ties to both the former regime and the current centres of power. They openly acknowledge corruption and admit that success often requires breaking the rules. The film raises a fundamental question: who ultimately pays the price for this inequality? Even 16 years after its premiere, it remains surprisingly relevant.