Cristian Mungiu, director of modern classics such as 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days, and Beyond The Hills, tackles racial intolerance and the rise of the far-right in Europe in R.M.N., a typically moral and ethically engaged piece of work from one of world cinema’s greatest contemporary directors. Matthias (Marin Grigore) has returned home to his multi-ethnic Transylvanian village following an altercation in Germany, hoping to involve himself more in the education of his son, Rudi, left in the care of his mother, Ana, and to rid the boy of his anxieties. When migrants from Sri Lanka are hired to work at the local bakery, the peace of the community is disturbed, underlying fears grip the adults, and frustrations, conflicts, and passions erupt through the thin veneer of apparent understanding and calm.

Notes by David O’Mahony