Radu Jude on Adapting Scandalous French Classic ‘Diary of a Chambermaid’ and Proving He’s Not Just a ‘Vulgar Filmmaker’

Radu Jude released two feature films in 2025, competing at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Locarno Film Festival. In 2026, the Romanian filmmaker adapted Octave Mirbeau's 1900 French novel "The Diary of a Chambermaid" into a film titled "Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World." Jude stated that he aimed to prove he is not merely a "vulgar filmmaker" by adapting the scandalous classic. The film, which Jude described as a "road movie" and a "political film," was inspired by a 2018 article in the Romanian newspaper Dilema Veche. The narrative follows a young woman named "U." who is tasked with driving a van across Romania to deliver a video message to an employer in a mining town. Jude's adaptation incorporates contemporary elements, including a character who is a "social media influencer," to connect the historical text with the present day. The director noted that the novel's themes of class struggle and exploitation remain relevant. He also mentioned that the film's production involved a significant amount of research into the historical context of the novel and the social conditions of Romania.