So, What’s Freedom? is an adaptation of Ana Blandiana’s short story Past Projects. Inspired by true events, the film recreates the drama of a handful of people out of the 40,000 innocents who were deported to the huge fields of Bărăgan, a sort of no man’s land of Romania in the 1950s.

A history teacher who puts his hopes in the change promised by communists, his intelligent wife who teaches French and dreams of going to Paris, a Hungarian Romanian, a German Romanian, the family of an Orthodox priest, and a former soldier have to build literally from ground up first a shack, then small adobe houses, in order to survive the harsh winters and hot summers. They trade their jewels for food and a few animals. Life goes on at a huge price but they never lose their dignity and that sets them free.

The minimalistic yet well-informed script, incredibly beautiful cinematography, excellent acting and subtle music do not provide answers to the question posed by the title of the film, but suggest that the question is more important than the answer.