Ludus

Geta Brătescu’s film Ludus, which she produced in collaboration with Ion Grigorescu, provides an intimate look into both her studio and her artistic process.

In the film, the Romanian artist sketches with her eyes closed, cuts out strips of paper, and paints her face with white chalk. Despite Brătescu’s advanced age, these actions come across as uninhibited, like those of a child on a journey of discovery. This impression is reinforced by the cheerful melody emanating from a music box, which serves as a soundtrack. The curiously probing camera glides through Brătescu’s intimate living space, wanders over her hairline, forehead, and hands, and then moves on to a display cabinet in the background containing postcards, found objects, and photos of older works.

During the repressive Ceaușescu regime (1965 — 1989), when Brătescu was still forced to work in secrecy, the studio served as her place of refuge. With Ludus, she draws on and playfully relives the experiences of those early years.