The Iron Curtain Fell for a Second Time on the Romanian Cinema. “Socialist Humanism” in the Beginning of the ‘70s
The Iron Curtain Fell for a Second Time on the Romanian Cinema. “Socialist Humanism” in the Beginning of the ‘70s

Summary/Abstract: The article examines the way in which, after a short period of liberalisation and opening to the West, the Romanian Cinema during the Ceaușescu regime follows a path of increasing ideological themes and political control. The process began shortly after the consolidation of the power by the new Secretary General and unfolded gradually, culminating in 1971 with the “July Theses”. Like the rest of the cultural activities, the effects of this retraction into the ideological shell of national-communism, marked by strong xenophobic and isolationist accents, can be seen in the film industry as well. The article relies on the files in the fonds of the Central Committee of Romanian Communist Party to cover the specificities of the cultural policies in Ceaușescu’s Romania. The way these policies were received by the cinema industry is reflected in the issues of Cinema magazine from the second half of the ‘60s to the mid-70s. Finally, the specific Romanian case is analysed in the broader context of the other communist regimes of Eastern Europe during the years of Cold War detente.

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