Kingdom of Judas is a Romanian English-language[1] thriller film directed by Sabina Lisievici in her debut direction and starring Sabina Lisievici, Oana Carmaciu, Bogdan Iacob, George Damare, Adi Gheo, Oana Dragne, Daria Ghitu, Raluca Ghervan and the Romanian fighter Sandu Lungu (cameo), among others.[2] The film tells the story of Anna, who has to confront with the death of her sister as she identifies five potential suspects related to her sister’s demise.
| Kingdom of Judas | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Sabina Lisievici |
| Written by | Sabina Lisievici |
| Produced by | Sabina Lisievici, Viorel Chesaru |
| Starring | Sabina Lisievici, Oana Carmaciu, Bogdan Iacob, Oana Dragne, Adi Gheo, Raluca Ghervan, Daria Ghitu |
| Cinematography | Alexandru Lisievici, Paul Soare, Andrei Radulescu |
| Edited by | Maria Lazar |
| Music by | Unknown Chapters, UNA, Yamin Bene, Redd Daniel, Sophia Secret |
Production companies | Saroafilm, Chainsaw Europe |
| Distributed by | Saroafilm |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Romania |
| Language | English |
It was produced by Saroafilm[3] after the short film On Hold , also directed by Sabina Lisievici. The film is the first one in the history of Romanian cinema to have been produced entirely in English but with only Romanian actors.[4]
The film had a special screening in The American Film Market on November 2, 2023 in Los Angeles.[5]
Plot
editAfter her sister's tragic suicide, Anna is determined to uncover the truth about what led to her sibling's death. In her pursuit of answers, she creates an intricate plan involving her sister's five artist contacts, placing them in a celebrity rehabilitation center. As she pushes them to confront their past actions and take responsibility for their mistakes, Anna starts to uncover hidden truths related to her sister's passing.[6]
Cast
edit- Sabina Lisievici as Anna Blaga
- Oana Carmaciu as Maria Blaga
- Bogdan Iacob as Dean Hart
- Adi Gheo as Kayne
- Daria Ghitu as Marga
- Oana Dragne as May
- Raluca Ghervan as Fedora
- George Damare as George
- Catalin Nicolau as Marco
- Mihai Dulea as Mick
- Adrian Ciglenean as Petru (Anna’s father)
- Marcela Motoc as Kiki (the manager)
- Oltin Hurezeanu as Carl Kraft (the mentor)
- Teodora Daiana Pacurar as Yoga Guru
- Clabuc Vinicius Moldovan as Jack (the fan)
- Sandu Lungu cameo
- Sophie Varzaru as Young Anna
- Sofia Vasiliu as Young Maria
Production
editThe film was shot in the cities of Bucharest and Alba Iulia between August 2021 and October 2022.[7]
Release
editThe film had a national release in Romanian theaters in April 2024.[8][9][10]
Reception
edit"Kingdom of Judas is a film that achieved what it was meant to, to enter history as the first Romanian film with only Romanian actors, spoken entirely in English. It is also very different from any other Romanian film we have seen. Romanian films in English are also Oh, Ramona and The Perfect Escape , but those films didn't have only Romanian actors in the cast. Unfortunately, numerous problems inherent to the script, the direction and the technical aspects do not allow the film to become truly relevant in the Romanian history of film, of which, spoken in English or not, it is still a part. Maybe sometimes it's better to learn the rules before breaking them.", commented a very mixed review at CineMagia (Romania).[11]
Palindrom found that, "perhaps also to mark a specific and radical difference from the long line of "miserabilist" films that stubbornly show an ugly Romania. Having personally gone through the Hollywood school, Sabina Lisievici knows that the beauty of images, the pure aesthetics, has its part in the success of any film, regardless of its theme."[12]
References
edit- ^ "Thrillerul "Kingdom of Judas", filmat în România, cu actori români, însă vorbit integral în limba engleză, intră în cinematografe din 12 aprilie • Film • Zile și Nopți". zilesinopti.ro (in Romanian). 2024-04-07. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
- ^ Calinescu, Emil (2024-04-12). "Regatul lui Iuda - Kingdom of Judas - CinEMIL.ro". CinEmil (in Romanian). Retrieved 2024-07-18.
- ^ Makers2023-11-02T09:59:00+00:00, Creative Romanian Film. "Creative Romanian Film Makers brings 11 dynamic companies to the AFM". Screen. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Mihalache, Andreea (2024-02-09). ""Kingdom of Judas" – primul film din istoria cinematografiei româneşti complet în limba engleză şi filmat cu actori români se lansează pe 12 aprilie în cinematografele din toată ţara". Daily Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
- ^ Makers2023-11-02T09:59:00+00:00, Creative Romanian Film. "Creative Romanian Film Makers brings 11 dynamic companies to the AFM". Screen. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Kingdom of Judas (Regatul lui Iuda)". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ "Kingdom of Judas". Saroa Film. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ Stoica, Marian (2024-04-09). "Filmul "Kingdom of Judas", de vineri, în cinematografele din ţară | VIDEO". Radio Vacanța (in Romanian). Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ "Kingdom of Judas (Regatul lui Iuda)". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
- ^ SA, Imedia Plus Group. "Kingdom of Judas (2024)". Cinemagia (in Romanian). Retrieved 2024-07-18.
- ^ SA, Imedia Plus Group. "Kingdom of Judas: un thriller românesc ce încalcă toate regulile". Cinemagia (in Romanian). Retrieved 2024-07-18.
- ^ "Kingdom of Judas - o premieră în fimul românesc - Palindrom" (in Romanian). 2024-02-11. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
