Kontinental ’25 Review: Radu Jude’s Acerbic, Awkwardly Funny Social Critique Examines The Cost Of Urban Renewal

Life comes with a cost, and one thing we often get in return is the chance to help people experiencing homelessness. My mother suggests we don’t necessarily solve their problems, but rather continue a cycle of giving that ultimately makes us feel better. Orsolya, a bailiff in Cluj, Romania, featured in Kontinental ’25 (played by Eszter Tompa), participates in this cycle by helping to displace unhoused people, supposedly for the benefit of the city. More accurately, it’s done in the name of “development”—a term often used to justify profit at the expense of others.






