On August 9th, 2025, something special happened at the heart of Melbourne’s cultural scene. EuRaw Inc. gathered a large group of Romanian film lovers, creatives, and friends to attend a screening of Radu Jude’s latest cinematic provocation, Kontinental 25, as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF).
It was more than just a movie night, it was a celebration of Romanian cinema, identity, and community in the diaspora.
Kontinental 25 – Bold, Unapologetic, Brilliant
Known for his fiercely intelligent and genre-defying work, Radu Jude didn’t disappoint. Kontinental 25 is a biting, reflective, and visually daring film that once again challenges our assumptions about history, politics, and the role of media in shaping both.
The audience, including several Romanian expats seeing Jude’s work for the first time in a cinema setting abroad, was captivated.
For many of us, the film was not only thought-provoking, but also deeply grounding: a cinematic reminder of our roots, of the questions we grew up with, and of the absurdities we still wrestle with as part of our post-communist cultural DNA.
Before the screening, our EuRaw group met up at the nearby Cabinet Bar & Balcony for a relaxed drink and some lively conversation. It was one of those classic Melbourne nights, rainy but electric, and over a glass of wine or tea, we exchanged stories, laughed about culture shock, and even debated previous Radu Jude films.
New friendships were sparked, and old ones rekindled, all united by a shared love of cinema and a longing for meaningful cultural connection.
Attending MIFF as a group was more than a night at the movies. It was an act of cultural belonging, a way for us to say: ‘we are here, we care about art, we care about ideas and we carry Romanian voices into every space we enter‘.
This initiative is part of EuRaw’s broader mission to support and celebrate Romanian culture in Australia, whether it’s through theatre, film, craft, or community gatherings. And with more events already in the works, we’re excited to keep building spaces where our heritage feels alive, relevant, and shared.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and if you missed it, don’t worry. The next outing is just around the corner.
Veniți cu noi data viitoare!