The late dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, who died in 1989, resurrects in 2021 as a hologram to address the contemporary inhabitants of a small Romanian village. What happens next is captured in a hybrid documentary, observing the effects this unusual encounter has on the people involved, many of whom are first-hand witnesses of Ceaușescu’s rule.
Mihai Grecu’s thought-provoking documentary challenges the viewer with a post-truth era experiment with the frightening artifice of the dictator as catalyst. The reactions it generates reveal a great deal about how the people of the village of Rahau – where Grecu grew up – see current politics and how they relate to democracy in general. Nicolae provides an uneasy reflection on the possible effects of a technology, which is already being used for political ends and propaganda, but which we will certainly only see more of in years to come.
— Available on Festival Scope Pro from 26 January 9:00 CET to 14 February 9:00 CET
