Radu Jude is a director known in Romania for his satirical style, though the mood in his second feature “Everybody in Our Family” is less jovial. In his new film, Radu Jude explores the darker sides of domestic life. The film screened in the Forum Section of this year’s Berlinale.

Where does the story of your film come from?

Well it’s a long story, it doesn’t come from a particular single situation. It comes from many things. Some I experienced personally, and some I noticed around me. Finally, several years ago I made a short film called Alexandra which had more or less of a similar subject, so it’s all those things together.

How do you work with your actors?

Nothing special, I tell them what to do and they do it.

Are there any Romanian directors you really admire?

Yes, in fact I admire many of them, in particular Mircea Daneliuc. Also I’m very deeply indebted to two other directors I worked for as an assistant director, Cristi Piuiu and Radu Muntean. I worked with Radu Muntean on Furia and on hundreds of advertisements. I owe my knowledge to working with him. And with Piuiu I worked on The Death of Lazarescu. I also learned many things from him, and I’m grateful that he accepted such a bad assistant.

I also admire some filmmakers from my generation, such as Cornelio Porimboiu and Andrei Ujică.

What do you think about the press responses to your film?

Some reviews were positive and some were negative, so I try to believe only in the good reviews, thinking that the bad ones are by critics who didn’t understand the film, but I’m not aginst the press. It’s their job, it’s just my right not to believe it.

What happens in your film?

It’s a story of a divorced father who lives on his one. One day, he goes to his ex-wife’s apartment in order to get his five-year-old daughter Sophia and go to the seaside for a holiday. The ex-wife and her boyfriend don’t want them to go because they think he is sick. Through this whole situation there is a scandal going on that is getting bigger and bigger like a snow ball. That’s the situation. It’s a nice story that surprises people.

What are your next projects?

I’m doing advertisements. And this summer I will make a short film, the working title is The Shadow a Cloud. It’s the story of a priest giving somebody his last rites.

Thank you for the interview.