
Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn (Berlinale)
The Berlinale has always been fond of radical filmmaking that leads audiences to confront their prejudices, and this year was no exception: the Golden Bear for Best Film went to Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude for his biting satire Babardeala cu bucluc sau porno balamuc (Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn).
Described as a “sociological sex film”, it’s a trenchant – if messy – critique of contemporary Romanian society through the story of a schoolteacher (Katia Pascariu) who lands in hot water after her sex tape inadvertently leaks online. Unpredictably constructed like a triptych, the film touches upon the social hypocrisy societies continue to have against women, and is to be applauded for going beyond mere provocation and actually providing scathing food for thought.
The jury stated that the film has “a rare and essential quality of a lasting art work”, and it’s hard to argue; it’s also one of those films that needs to be seen with an audience, as live reactions to the risqué content and its humorous beats will be a vital factor when it comes to fully appreciating this year’s frequently outrageous winner.
Screening at the Berlinale Summer Special on:
June 13 @ Freiluftkino Museumsinsel & ARTE Sommerkino Schloss Charlottenburg
June 15 @ Frischluftkino@Studentendorf
June 18 @ Freilichtbühne Weißensee