Sovereign has acquired U.K. and Ireland rights to “Kontinental ’25,” the latest film from Romanian auteur Radu Jude that won the Silver Berlin Bear for best screenplay at February’s Berlin International Film Festival.
The comedy-drama, which also earned a Golden Berlin Bear nomination for best film and a Grand Prix nod at the Luxembourg City Film Festival, is targeting a U.K. and Ireland theatrical release in late 2025.
Set in Cluj, the capital of Transylvania, “Kontinental ’25” follows Orsolya (Eszter Tompa), a bailiff who faces a moral crisis after evicting a homeless man from a cellar with disastrous results. The cast includes Gabriel Spahiu, Adonis Tanța, Șerban Pavlu, Oana Mardare, Annamária Biluska, Adrian Sitaru, Marius Damian, Nicodim Ungureanu and Ilinca Manolache.
Reviewing the film for Variety, Guy Lodge praised the film as “extraordinary,” calling it a “searing indictment of crumbling social care in a post-socialist economy” and noting that “nothing about ‘Kontinental ’25’ is easy, from its scabrous anger to its layered political and historical commentary.”
“I’m pleased that Kontinental ’25 is reaching audiences in the U.K.,” Jude said. “It’s a film that began years ago with a small news story but grew into something much larger – a reflection on inequality, gentrification, and the moral dilemmas we often try to ignore – or at least I hope it did. We shot it quickly, with minimal resources, using only an iPhone and natural light, with great actors and an enthusiastic small crew. I consider it many things into one, a kind of a noir film relying on words, a comedy, and an homage to Roberto Rossellini’s ‘Europe ’51.’”
The film marks Jude’s follow-up to his Berlin Golden Bear winner “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn” and his Locarno Special Jury Prize winner “Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World.”
Sovereign CEO Andreas Roald said: “We’re thrilled to be able to bring Kontinental ’25 to U.K. and Irish audiences. With Radu Jude’s signature boldness, the film captures the contradictions of modern life with biting clarity and dark humor. It’s a powerful reflection on guilt, responsibility and the absurdities of our social systems, anchored by a haunting performance and a raw, stripped-back aesthetic.”
The pickup adds to Sovereign’s slate that includes Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness,” Ulrich Seidl’s “Rimini,” and upcoming releases “Desire: The Carl Craig Story” and “Small Gods.”
“Kontinental ’25” is produced by Alex Teodorescu and Rodrigo Teixeira, with executive producers including Ramona Grama, Andreas Roald, Dan Wechsler, Jamal Zeinal-Zade, Berta Marchiori, Fernanda Frotté, Paul Thiltges and Adrien Chef. The film is a Saga Film production in co-production with RT Features, Bord Cadre Films and Paul Thiltges Distributions, with world sales handled by Luxbox.