EFF: Carbon

“A treat... a bittersweet comedy that also has a thing or two to say about the destructive effects of war.” — Cineuropa  

In 1990s Moldova, Dima, a tractor driver, enlists in the military troops taking part in the local war on the Transnistrian border. He’s joined by his friend Vasea, an Afghan war veteran. While on their way to the front, the two find a badly burnt body. Dima and Vasea decide to bury it according to the proper Christian rituals, but not before setting out, together with the corpse, on an absurd journey to discover its identity. 

Through a blend of absurdism and black comedy, Carbon highlights both the darkness and futility of war, but also the potential for humanity to rise above the chaos, profiteering and violence. The two men attempting to identify the burnt body get a lesson in morality as they encounter conflict from soldiers on both sides, the KGB, the church, and various levels of government bureaucracy, mostly corrupt.  

Moldova’s submission for the Best International Feature Film Academy Award 

Rating

E

Language

Romanian, Russian (English Subtitles)

Cast

Dumitru Roman, Ion Vântu, Igor Caras-Romanov, Vitalie Vasilache, Ion Co?eru, Viorel Cornescu

Director

Ion Bors