From our Film Archive

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of the Romanian People’s Republic (RPR) in December 1947, the newsreel dedicated 25 newsreel issues to themes that connected the present of 1972 to key moments from the past 25 years of the RPR. The topics draw from archival footage stored in the studio’s collection. At the start of this particular clip, we get to have a brief glimpse of the film library, once located in the basement of the studio’s main building at 106 Aviatorilor Blvd., now housed in the National Film Archive.

The story presented here begins with footage from 1948, filmed in the Mușatești commune (Argeș County) under the label of the National Cinematographic Office (ONC), before the Sahia studio was established. Each segment in this series follows a similar structure: opening with a brief archival sequence, then transitioning to a more in-depth sequence filmed in the present, showcasing the changes that had taken place since the original footage was recorded. In this case, the narrative shifts from images of electrification being set up in Mușatești in 1948 to the modernized commune it has become by 1972. The 1972 footage makes sure to show all the details of modernization, first highlighting the domestic space (television, washing machines, radios, individual bathrooms), and then moving to the public sphere, showcasing the Vidraru hydropower plant—one of the largest projects of its kind in the Communist Bloc.