Events

Documentary "The block" by Maria Șalaru & Conversation: Dwelling in energy infrastructures and facing the crisis. A dialogue between territories

Friday, 25 November 2022, after the colloquium, at IRI THESys

From neighbourly disputes over garlic-heavy cooking to memories of Ceaușescu’s heatless winters, this film explores the rich social and material universe of a Romanian apartment building. It follows the story of the block’s administrator, in his effort to mediate relationships between neighbours and maintain peace and order. In doing so, it crayons the rich nuances of the inhabitants’ everyday lives. The block comes to life, as its inhabitants constantly reshape it to defy the passing of time, while its failing infrastructure encroaches on their neighbourly relations. This is a film about people’s homes, and the spaces in between. In those spaces, the pipes don’t only carry hot water – they carry meanings from one inhabitant to the next.

After the documentary, we will share some coffee and cookies while talking about the different experiences of facing the current energy crisis between different territories.