TWST / Things We Said Today

Andrei Ujică, director of The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu (2010), takes on a very different subject in this film but still displays the same fondness for archive material—from news footage to home movies.

It’s 13 August 1965 in New York City, and the Beatles (the title of Ujică's film is derived from one of their songs) will be performing at Shea Stadium the following weekend. We see their fans jostle in the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols.

This dynamic impression of an era then abruptly broadens its perspective with images from the Watts riots in Los Angeles, which were ignited by rage about racism and police violence. Meanwhile, New Yorkers relax in the park or dance the twist. We see someone in Harlem stating his opinion, and a fan visiting the New York World’s Fair on his way to the concert.

Two young witnesses—an aspiring writer and the aforementioned Beatles fan—appear in the form of drawings. They are given a voice by actors reading journal entries as well as extracts from a story by Ujică himself, adding creativity and a poetic touch to the otherwise unembellished realism.