Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (Romania) (3/24)

If a teacher were to film a sex tape with her husband and upload it online, only for it to be discovered by the parents and faculty at her school, should that teacher be fired? This is the central premise of last year’s Romanian Oscar submission, a controversial examination of sexism, nationalism, and our attitudes toward sex. The satirical comedy won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival in 2021 before being released in the US at the end of the year. While the film follows Emi (Katia Pascariu) a teacher on trial for her morality by the parents of her students, director Radu Jude is examining more than just the politics of gender and sex as he entertainingly wanders down many thought lines, exploring the state of Romanian society in general. The film’s ending (which I will not spoil) is especially interesting and well executed.