Speaking at the press conference Mungiu said that he hoped the film would be judged on its own and not in comparison to his previous film.  "I think we need to clear our minds about what we have seen before. In choosing the story I wanted to make something different than 4 Months, it was only later that I realized that the story is still about an intimate relationship between two women, but it's not a film about friendship like my previous film, it's about abandonment."

Based on a true story about an exorcism in a small Moldavian village in 2005 that went badly wrong the film is a departure from what we have come to know as the "Romanian New Wave."   Unlike Mungiu's earlier films that look back at Romania during the communist period this film has a contemporary setting.

Alina returns to Romania from Germany where she has been living determined to try to rekindle her childhood relationship with Voichita a girl she was in love with in the orphanage where they both grew up.  Alina is obviously emotionally disturbed and when she finds Voichita has become an Orthodox nun in a religious community and is not interested to leave Alina becomes hysterical.  

Voichita lives in an Orthodox community of nuns in a small Moldavian village that is led by Pretre, an Orthodox priest.   Despite the lack of comforts and the simple life the nuns lead Voichita has found her calling in life and seems to be happy.  Alina's efforts to rekindle their former intimate relations and get her to run away are rebuffed.   Alina's increasing hysteria at the rejection leads to her hospitalization but after a shot time she is released and ends up back in the Orthodox community.

Unable to understand Alina's behaviour the nuns and the priest eventually decide Alina must be possessed by a demon and that perhaps the cure is exorcism.  The harrowing attempts to rid Alina of demon possession eventually lead to her death.

Mungui brings to excellent and highly talented newcomers to the roles of Alina played by Cristina Flutur and Voichita played by Cosmina Stratan.  Both actresses give superb performances as the tortured and anguished former lesbian lovers.

Former journalist Mungiu approaches the story with an even handed treatment that attempts to tell both sides of the story with no easy villains or victims.  The not very likeable Alina is a difficult victim to like and the nuns and priest which could have easily been portrayed as one-dimensional religious fanatics are portrayed as reasonable people who are tolerant and sympathetic and who genuinely what to help Alina.

Speaking at the press conference Mungui said that he did not want to decide who was guilty.  He said: "I wanted to be fair.  I am very interested in the moral question about whether it's better to do something because you are trying to help, or to do nothing.  It's about the desire of people to try to help those they love."

Mungui said that the film was not really about religion or the Orthodox church it was about superstition more than religion.  The film asked the question whether religion should be taken literally or not.  Mungui said: "the film is about religion, love and the abuse of love"

He also said that he hoped believers would actually see the film before making up their minds about it.

Mungui has been working with his DoP Oleg Mutu since their school days that the film had much of the distinctive Mungui Mutu style with long single takes and colour drained visuals to go along with the torment the two girls endure during the two and a half hour film.

But there was also much that was different that 4 Months in the visual style with the camera work fore free and less formal that his previous film.

Mungui said that the energy and action was more important than the camera in this film and that he felt the need to step back and be more free.

He said: "I adjust my visual style to the story and for this film I needed a different tension and rhythm."

Beyond the Hills definitely stands as a work on its own merits but despite the director's wishes it will inevitably be compared to his previous work although with such a strong script and great acting the comparison will not be unfavourable.

 

Credits:

Romania, France, Belgium

Director: Cristian Mungiu

Screenwriter: Cristian Mungiu

DoP: Oleg Mutu

Production: Mobra Film (www.mobrafilms.ro), Why Not, Les Films Du Fleuve, France 3 Cinema, Mandragora Movies

Cast : Cosmina Stratan, Cristina Flutur, Valeriu Andriuţă, Dana Tapalaga