CENTRAL EUROPE is a very intense art house feature film.

It presents a metaphysical Kammerspiel, a term referring to the German Expressionist artistic movement of the 1920s, focused on political struggle, betrayal and madness. The story follows an exiled communist couple during a train journey through the early months of World War II.

The screenplay was written by the director Gianluca Minucci, together with co-writer Patrick Karlsen.

Thanks to the detailed and historically grounded characters they created, the director’s choice of an intense palette of dark colors and carefully curated cinematography and the deliberate pacing of the editing, the film builds a visionary and grotesque atmosphere. The protagonists are immersed in a surreal journey across the heart of the Old Continent, oppressed by both fascism and communism.

A standout element of the film is the cinematography by Carlo Rinaldi. Even during the daytime scenes, we constantly feel as though we are in the shadow of night, a metaphor for the dark period Europe was experiencing. The visual palette is consistently dark, dominated by shades of blue. Moreover, the use of the 4:3 aspect ratio enhances the feeling of claustrophobia throughout the journey. Frequently, each character is framed alone at the center of the image, effectively conveying a deep sense of loneliness and the impossibility of trusting anyone to share their personal space.

The performances by the cast are excellent, especially Catherine Bertoni De Laet, Paolo Bierobon, and Tommaso Ragno. The theatrical nature of the film is mirrored in their performances, which remain believable despite the dystopian context of the train.

The original score, composed by Zbigniew Preisner—a longtime collaborator of Krzysztof Kieslowski—perfectly supports the film’s dark, noir atmosphere.

Every aspect of the film contributes to the creation of a strong expressionist language, certainly not intended for a mainstream audience, but this is more of a strength than a limitation.

The talented director of the film is Gianluca Minucci, born in Trieste on 24/07/1987. He graduated in Film History and Film Analysis (Faculty of Literature and Philosophy). He has directed commercials, short films, and music videos for artists such as Phantogram, Greta Van Fleet, and Com Truise. He also teaches History and Italian Literature in high school. His cinematic approach—shaped by influences such as Paul Thomas Anderson and Yorgos Lanthimos—explores the nightmares of the 20th century and how political ideologies shaped individual lives.

For all these reasons CENTRAL EUROPE received an Honorable Mention and the award for Best Cinematography at the March Monthly Amsterdam New Cinema Film Festival Competition. Congratulations to all the cast and crew!