Everybody in Our Family

There’s no way around it: modern man reacts to stress much like his stone-age forefathers, his physical chemistry deciding within seconds on fight or flight. Aside from the morning hangover, his parents, the battle with nicotine and car problems, Marius Vizereanu’s greatest stress factor is the imminent visit to the blended family where his young daughter Sofia lives with her grandmother, mother and her new boyfriend Aurel. Marius is an onlooker there at best, but today he wants to pick up Sofia to take her on a seaside outing.

As soon as the camera enters the cramped flat with him, it is as if trans formed into a measuring device. Each rise in blood pressure, every emotion, sarcastic remark, threat, or self-abasement is recorded in meticulous fashion, including any amount of dirty laundry and unfinished business. Although Marius’ visit is brief and we experience it in real time, the ever-broad spectrum of feelings that go hand in hand with the family cosmos means the excellent actors have plenty to draw on.

Experience is nearly always the parody of an idea. This also applies to the idea of family. Fight or flight can also help when it comes to irresolvable family bonds. Or even both.

Berlin Film Festival