Romania’s first fiction film was The Independence of Romania (Independența României) in 1912. However, the industry didn’t really start going until the latter end of the 20th century due to World War Two and the nationalisation of cinema. Its first real, semi-decent works came from the strict ideological regimes of Nicolae Ceaușescu when the vast Buftea studios became a production factory for historical epics, light comedies, and propaganda pieces designed to glorify the state and national myths. Despite severe censorship, a few directors like Lucian Pintilie managed to push boundaries; his 1968 film The Reenactment (Reconstituirea) offered such a devastating critique of state authority that it was promptly banned by the regime.

The execution of Ceaușescu in 1989 initially plunged the industry into a decade of financial chaos, but it ultimately paved the way for an extraordinary artistic renaissance at the turn of the millennium: the Romanian New Wave. Launching onto the international stage with Cristi Puiu’s The Death of Mr Lăzărescu (2005) and Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or-winning 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007), this movement defined itself through a hyper-realistic, minimalist aesthetic. These films utilised long takes, ambient sound, and a pitch-black, absurdist sense of humour to dissect both the lingering trauma of the communist past and the bureaucratic dysfunctions of modern capitalist Romania. Romanian cinema remains strong with directors like Radu Jude flying the flag.