Make Dracula Romanian Again: Auteur Radu Jude Doesn’t Want Hollywood to Have All the Bloody Fun
- Radu Jude, a Romanian filmmaker, is working on a Dracula movie called Dracula Park, aiming to make a Romanian version of the classic tale in a unique way.
Free-spirited Romanian auteur and provocateur Radu Jude ( Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World , Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn ) on Friday talked a bit about a Dracula movie that he is working on, telling a masterclass held as part of the Locarno Film Festival 's Locarno Pro industry strand : "I am from Romania. My father is actually from Transylvania. It's time that someone makes [a Romanian] Dracula movie because it's only Hollywood that has done it 1,000 times."
Jude previously mentioned that the movie would be called Dracula Park because he wants it to be a bit like an amusement park. "Make Dracula great again!" an entry about the film on the movie database Cinando says. And the filmmaker told Mubi's Notebook in the fall: "It's not really Dracula but something close to it."
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The director mentioned the project when asked about his next film. "Well, there are many," he replied, sharing that he likes to work on multiple projects because he noticed in the past that he was "too fragile" when waiting for a release before working on another film. "Because I am weak, it felt like a burden," Jude said. "I am shooting a Dracula film and a small independent film" and several others, including a small French film, "because I say yes to everything," he also quipped.
Jude shared many insights and thoughts during the jam-packed masterclass, moderated by Amsterdam-based film critic and programmer Hugo Emmerzael.
The filmmaker, who was honored with a special jury prize at Locarno76 for Do Not Expect Too Much and won the Golden Bear for best film at the virtual 2021 Berlin International Film Festival for Bad Luck Banging , is presenting two new works at Locarno77 : Sleep #2 and Opt ilustrate din lumea ideală ( Eight Postcards From Utopia ). "Celebrated for his rebellious, independent and free-spirited cinema, Jude is a key figure in the world of cinema, who has plenty of experience in traversing the fine lines between commerce and creativity," a description of his masterclass said. "He will share his personal experiences, reflect on the state of the industry, and discuss with the audience what they can do to feel free and happy while doing the thing they love doing most: making films."
Jude got a boisterous welcome from the crowded room, repeatedly drawing laughter, applause and cheers, including laughs when he noted: "I wasn't accepted into the national film school."
He also shared that he started directing his first commercials in Romania when he was 26, but heard that he was already old because so much production and creative work was being done back then by "very young people" in the country.
Jude told the audience that he was happy to assist others on productions earlier in his career "because I heard [Federico] Fellini was assistant to [Roberto] Rossellini." Back then he wanted to "become a good craftsman, but now I don't care about that," he said to more laughs.
"I don't have ideas of my own," he added when asked about how his recent films have often quoted others' ideas. "Because I don't have a style myself … I really want to experiment with cinema as much as possible" with various forms, from documentary to essay and others. "I have this greed. It's a greedy thing."
Discussing his current focus and particular interests, Jude shared: "I really want to concentrate on the present" and showing life in Romania in essayist form.
Among his more provocative comments, Jude said that "the Romanian Film Center is run by an idiot," a reference to Anca Mitran, the controversial head of the organization. He argued that the center "will compare finished films with the screenplay a filmmaker submitted," adding: "If there are any changes, they will ask for their money back."
While having a reputation for more experimental work, Jude told the Locarno Pro masterclass on Friday that he may not say yes to a big-money offer. Describing the impact on his work and financial security when he quit advertising work years ago, he said he made a basic calculation. "If I do a film every year or every year and a half, I can make a living, which is not as [good] as if I make commercials," but still satisfying, he explained. While he originally thought he could always return to advertising or TV work if needed, he quipped on Friday that "I don't know if they would accept me."
But Jude concluded in his typical style: "If someone gives me a bad script and a lot of money and says do it, I'll do it."
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