Metronom is a Romanian-French drama film from 2022, marking the feature-length fiction debut of filmmaker Alexandru Belc. While Belc had directed documentaries earlier, this was his first narrative film and quickly drew international attention. The movie won the Best Director prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022.
The story unfolds in Romania in the autumn of 1972. Ana, a 17-year-old girl living in Bucharest, dreams of love, freedom, and a life beyond political repression. One night, she and her friends – seeking connection and expression – decide to write a letter to Metronom, a music show broadcast clandestinely by Radio Free Europe that has become a symbol of cultural freedom for young Romanians.
Their innocent act of rebellion – writing to a forbidden radio show – quickly draws the attention of the Securitate, the feared secret police of the communist regime. The teenagers are detained, interrogated, and forced to detail their involvement in what the state considers subversive behaviour.
Parallel to this political tension, the film focuses on teenage romance and heartbreak, as Ana’s boyfriend receives permission to leave Romania permanently with his family – a painful decision that marks their final days together and shapes their futures
The film was shown in at the 39th Jerusalem Film Festival in 2022, at the Festival de Film de la Gijón.
In Bucharest, one of the main actors, Șerban Lazarovici discussed film’s theme with young audiences during the “Screen of Memory – The Last Missing Chapters of the History Book,” organised by Freedom House Romania in November 2025, with the support of the City Hall of Sector 1.