Do The Right Thing: 1-2 Special Makes Maiden Voyage with Radu Jude’s “Kontinental ’25”

Last year we got Metrograph Pictures jumping into the indie film distribution scene, and in 2025 we have 1-2 Special with topper Jason Hellerstein officially cutting the ribbon landing their first pick-up and it was one of the better films from this year’s Berlinale in Radu Jude‘s Kontinental ’25. Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, Jude is in Hong Sang-soo mode — pretty much on a film per year pace since the beginning of the decade. Our Nicholas Bell called ★★★½ Jude’s “latest perambulating spasm from Romanian director Radu Jude, which navigates an intersection of self-accountability, property, language, and culture as precarious notions in a nation bulldozing itself into capitalism’s future.” We figure the company will premiere the film at other fests before its theatrical drop.

On the deal Radu Jude had this to say: “Dear friends, the makers of Kontinental ’25 are happy to be able to share the film, which takes place in the Transylvanian region of Romania, with the American audiences. For me personally, as the writer-director of the film, America is first and foremost the country of cinema (even when a bunch of crooks run it) and I deeply hope our film will meet a great audience there, people who are curious to see how the world looks like in a faraway land. As for Canada, we are very honoured to show our film in a brave and independent country.”

KONTINENTAL ’25 is an existential black comedy that follows Orsolya (Eszter Tompa), a bailiff in Cluj, Transylvania. One day she must evict a homeless man who lives in the basement of a building. An unexpected event creates a moral crisis she tries to solve as best she can.