The High Schoolers

Nicolae Corjos's 1986 Romanian film follows the relationship between Mihai, a provincial arriving at a Bucharest high school, and Dana, who plays chess. Mihai is drawn to mathematics and philosophy, but over the school year his attention moves elsewhere. The film is unexpectedly light for Romania at the time. Political content is nearly absent and the everyday life of young people is shown directly, which was notable in a cinema under close supervision. On release it reached a very wide audience and sequels followed; the two leads became known names for a generation. The music was decisive in its popularity. Who it's for: those who like popular cinema of the Eastern Bloc and youth films. Who it's not for: viewers expecting criticism of the period; the film barely touches the political context.