TWST – Things We Said Today

 No cultural milestone is isolated from its historical context. This is what Andrei Ujica proves in his film Things We Said Today: a journey into the past surrounding the Beatles' arrival to Manhattan in 1965. The Romanian filmmaker, whose work has a markedly political character, places this popular culture event in a convulsive moment in the history of the United States. The British quartet's concert at Shea Stadium coincided with events such as the New York World's Fair and the Watts riots against police, brutality and racism. Circumstances that together form a portrait of a bygone era that echoes the present day. Ujica incorporates found footage from newsreels, Super 8 home movies and recordings of the concert, while working with the French illustrator Yann Kebbi to create characters that dialogue with the archival material and breathe new life into it. As in the song that gives the film its title, past and present are two sides of the same coin.