TikTok Is Romania’s Biggest Movie Star

jumpingsack/Shutterstock MUBI/YouTube Remix by Caterina Cox

It’s not uncommon for social media to influence movies, but this phenomenon has been taken to the next level with Radu Jude’s “Do Not Expect Too Much From The End Of The World.”

The social realist flick follows Angela “an overworked and underpaid production assistant” through the streets of Bucharest as she tries to interview injured factory workers for a corporate safety video.

And TikTok has a starring role in the film. Ilinca Manolache, who plays Angela in the film, spoke to the New York Times about internet culture and, specifically, the impact of TikTok. Independent of the film, the actor developed Bobita, an online persona that seems to represent everything wrong with modern influencer culture.

Her biting satire drew the attention of director Radu Jude, who then went on to cast her in this movie.

“Most big artists, they don’t see what’s valuable about TikTok,” Manolache explained. “They reject it and call it a weird subculture. That’s what’s rare about Radu and what makes him such a modern voice.”

Meanwhile, Jude enthusiastically showed the New York Times his For You Page, adding that TikTok has a “certain beauty.

Adding that, “I often feel that cinema is behind TikTok. It’s not familiar with these expressions of life.”

Content for Creators.

News, tips, and tricks delivered to your inbox twice a week.

Newsletter Signup

Top Stories