After scooping Berlin’s Golden Bear in the spring, pandemic-set satire Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn hits British cinemas this week. And, while life may be a little closer to normal than when the film was made, director/writer Radu Jude’s no-holds-barred offering has lost none of its bite or its topicality.
The film follows the personal journey of Emi (Katia Pascariu), a teacher who finds both her career and reputation in the spotlight and under threat when her personal sex tape, featuring herself and her husband, finds its way onto the internet. The parents at the school where she works demand her dismissal and she’s forced to confront them but refuses to give in to their pressure.
The interview below took place during the London Film Festival, when audiences were able to see the movie on the big screen. Jude explains it had already received a cinema release in his home country of Romania, where audience reaction was mixed. But that was what he expected and he admits “I like a negative reaction.” Inspired by a news story, the film was made during the pandemic and he explains the measures taken during the shoot to keep everybody safe, as well as the actors’ reactions to wearing face coverings and how the masks played a part in creating the characters on screen.
‘Bad Luck Banging’ or ‘Loony Porn’ is released in cinemas on Friday, 26 November.
