I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians

Radu Jude's dark-as-night satire examines Romanians' complex relationship to their country's not-so-distant past.

A young theatre director attempts to stage an accurate re-enactment of the Odessa Massacre, in which Romanian soldiers slaughtered tens of thousands of Ukrainian Jews.

Her choice angers a city official who threatens to close the production because of its “anti-Romanian” take on history. However, the audience's reactions to the staged play is one that neither anticipated.

Curator's Note

Taking its title from Marshal Ion Antonescu, "I do not care if we go down in history as barbarians" were the words the Romanian dictator spoke before the country embarked on a brutal genocidal campaign alongside Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Highlighting the importance of truth-telling processes in a way that seems specific to Romania, Radu Jude's impactful film has and will continue to strike a chord with audiences around the world including countries, like Australia, that are desperately in need of truth-telling processes of their own.

I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival where it won multiple awards including the Crystal Globe for Best Film. Satisfyingly, the film also won the award for Best Screenplay at the Gopo Awards – the national film awards in Romania.

– Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)