Chuck Norris Vs. Communism

Running time: 81 mins

"Rocky and Rambo become the unlikely tribunes of a revolution." Director Ilinca Calugareanu's stylish and delightfully humorous story demonstrates the truly transformative nature of film as she takes us to the darkest days of 1980's Communist Romania. What better way to escape a dreary existence than through larger-than-life characters on the big screen? Irina Nistor relished the opportunity to bring joy to the hidden community of film lovers by dubbing banned Western VHS tapes into Romanian. Action heroes such as Chuck Norris became idolized and Nistor herself, a fantasy celebrity. This breezy, but moving, look at a bygone era emphasizes the power of freedom and the movies that helped overthrow a totalitarian state. - Sandy Wolf Preceded by the short film: Listen Up!; PTP Short; 5 min.