Bank Robbery
The Great Communist Bank Robbery
Marele Jaf Communist / Alexandru Solomon / Romania / 2004 / 75 min / Romanian
In 1959 Romanian State Bank was allegedly robbed by a mysterious band of gangsters, who got away with millions of lei intended for the salaries of hard-working citizens. The police, helped by the secret agents, 'discovered' that the robbery had been carried out by a group of high-ranking communists, all holding important posts in government and all, as it happened, Jews. A show-trial followed, and the accused were forced to appear in a filmed 'reconstruction' of the robbery in exchange for promises of reduced sentences. The very same film was then used to provide vital 'evidence' for the prosecution. All but one of the defendants were sentenced to death, and the film was later used at closed party screenings for training purposes. Over forty years later, director Alexandru Solomon reconstructs the reconstruction, incorporating interviews with former prisoners, the cameraman of the infamous film, neighbors and secret police agents. Their accounts show that the propaganda film covered up more than it revealed.
producer | Tudor Giurgiu
screenplay | Alexandru Solomon
camera | Constantin Chelba
editor | Sophie Reiter
sound | Dana Bunescu, Viorel Dobre
