Should We Stay or Should We Go? The Occident Factor in Post-Totalitarian Romania
Should We Stay or Should We Go? The Occident Factor in Post-Totalitarian Romania

Summary/Abstract: Almost always whispered and accompanied by a certain exchange of looks, the words “dincolo”( on the other side) or “afară”( outside) embodied the very essence of freedom and happiness. Because of Communist Romanian’s tightly closed borders and travel interdictions, plans of illegal border crossing sprouted in almost every mind, as stories about the bountiful, almost mystical Western lands revitalized broken spirits and nourished the will to survive. This paper will examine the livelihood of this once dire desire to immigrate in the post-totalitarian Romania, as depicted in Cristian Mungiu’s movie “Occident.” Are Romanians still magically drawn by the prospect of immigration toward the West? Did the newly found freedom and accessibility make the relationship with the West less adventurous and therefore less passionate?

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