The Paper Will Be Blue

The film opens with an armored personnel carrier approaching a military checkpoint. Two men exit the vehicle, one in civilian clothes and the other in Militia uniform, and light cigarettes as tense silence fills the street. Suddenly, the checkpoint soldiers open fire and kill all occupants of the APC, setting a brutal tone for the night that follows.

The scene cuts to a Militia night patrol through Bucharest. Costi Andronescu, driven by zeal, abandons his mission and heads toward the TV building to join the Revolution. His CO Lt. Neagu and the rest of the fireteam search for him amid the confusion of the December 22 night.

Costi encounters a group in a truck that's heading to defend the TV station. He is in uniform but is warmly greeted as a brother and told that he is now a civilian. He exchanges his uniform items for civilian clothing, blending in with the others.

The truck is flagged down and Costi and a Gypsy are asked to step down to help transport an injured soldier to hospital. The mission shifts from combat to casualty evacuation as they part from the convoy.

Costi and the Gypsy end up in a villa where soldiers and fighters under Army command are defending it. The attackers are initially framed as the enemy from the regime, but they soon realize that the real enemy within the scene are sometimes fellow Army soldiers. They try to explain themselves, only to be branded terrorists and Arabs.

Costi is found partly in uniform, a fact that worsens the confusion around his loyalties. He is roughly beaten and eventually confined in the villa’s cellar as officers dispute his status.

A Colonel inspects Costi’s papers and credentials, determines his bona fides, and allows him to go. The clearance comes after tense questioning about where he belongs and whom he serves.

Lt. Neagu drives around the city, desperately trying to locate Costi. He eventually arrives at Costi’s mother’s place, where they watch television, smoke cigarettes, and await news of his fate, fearing that he might be dead.

Costi eventually shows up alive and the unit drives back toward its base, reuniting after the chaotic night. The return trip underscores the fragile line between solidarity and danger in the city’s chaos.

The group sits in the APC at the same checkpoint, now faced with the same command to identify themselves. The soldiers demand a clear answer, but the men hesitate, unsure of how to respond to the advancing army. They mouth the Militia password, 'the paper will be blue,' repeatedly as the scene ends, leaving the outcome unresolved.

The film closes with a tension-filled air, as the men try to reconcile their Militia identity with the reality of the revolution around them. The password-utterances highlight how fragile allegiances are under sudden political upheaval, and the audience is left to wonder about the fate of the characters.