Two Romanian dreamers chase Rotterdam's promise—then the city bites back hard.
Natalia and Ginel leave their small Romanian Danube village to work abroad in Rotterdam. One evening, when she is assaulted after meeting a local, Natalia asks Ita, a friend from home turned into a crook, to help her.
Acting
Vartolomei's silence speaks volumes—every glance is a wound.
Direction
Mihai shoots Rotterdam like a trap disguised as opportunity.
Cinematography
Cold harbor lights vs. warm village memory—devastating contrast.
Director
Teodora Ana Mihai
Anamaria Vartolomei
Natalia
Ionuț Niculae
Ginel
Rares Andrici
Iță
Thomas Ryckewaert
Mr. Michels
Macrina Bârlădeanu
Andreea
Alexandru Potocean
Prosecutor Mihăiță
Mirela Nicolau
Ginel’s Mother
Ana Ciontea
Mrs Mariana
Mike Libanon
Natalia’s Boss
Tim Haars
Dutch Investigator
Charlotte Vandermeersch
Eva
Răzvan Bănică
Ivan
Geo Dobre
Mr Geo
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mihai based this on real Romanian trafficking cases she investigated as a documentarian—hence the procedural dread.
Vartolomei learned basic Dutch in three weeks; her halting scenes with Mr. Michels were partly improvised around language barriers.
BE
NL
