Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from director Bogdan George Apeitri and Film Movement is a story of a novice and a cop in MIRACLE.

Cristina Tofan (Ioana Bugarin) is a young novice in a small-town convent in Bulgaria. Needing to get away quietly to take care of a personal matter, she is helped by Sister Mina (Nora Covali). The nun’s brother Albu (Valeriu Andriuta) drives her into the city minding his own business as to why she needs to stop and change from her habit to civilian clothing.

Making her way through the city, Cristina makes an odd stop before deciding to move on. She makes an equally quick stop at the local hospital deciding it is time to go back to the convent. Hailing a cab, their drive back is filled with small chat and silence until Cristina once again asks if he could pull over so she can change.

The driver has other plans.

Marius Preda (Emanuel Parvu) is a police inspector assigned to Cristina’s case. Trying to understand her movements, he visits each place and speaks with anyone who would know anything. Back at the convent, Mother Superior and the other nuns are together on their silence, but Preda knows one nun who needs to speak up.

The case begins to tear at Preda who becomes enraged as more people do not speak – especially Cristina. She has a bigger story to tell. The only one that can speak on a moment on that day is the Dr. Matalia Marcu (Ana Ularu). Feeling like he is close to taking the law into his own hands, Preda comes face to face so to speak with the evil that men do.

Parvu as Marius is a man that becomes obsessed with the case he has been given. Knowing that there is so much more to the story than he can get from any person, the frustration begins to set in. Parvu gives us the portrayal of a man who is obsessed with what has happened to the young novice and wants to make it right, but at what cost?

Bugarin as Cristina is a quiet young girl who is caught in between worlds. Finding solace and refuge in the convent will not solve her problems and there comes a moment where she knows that. Bugarin gives us a character that is mousy in her approach with people, and in the case of her taxi driver, one moment of worldly trust leads to a horrific crime.

Other cast include Cezar Antal as Batin, Valentin Popescu as Dr. Ivan, Ovidiu Crisan as Officer Macarie, Marian Ralea as Dr. Mihaescu, Natalia Calin as Sister Sebastiana, Catalina Moga as Sister Sofia, Mirea Postelnicu as Officer Amzea, Dan Grigoras as Agent Ticu, Bogdan Farcas as Florin, Bogdan Tascu as Bordei and Ion Grosu as Officer Bodola.

Film Movement, founded in 2002, is an award-winning independent and foreign film company that has released more than 250 feature films and shorts. Theatrical releases include American independent films, documentaries, and foreign arthouse titles catalog such directors as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Maren Ade, Jessica Hausner and Ciro Guerra and Melanie Laurent. Bluray and DVD films bring such directors as Eric Rohmer, Bolle August, King Hu, Sergio Corbucci and Luchino Visconti and many more. To discover what Film Movement is all about and find out more about what they have to offer please visit www.filmmovementplus.com.

Official Selection Mostra Internazionale D’Arte Cinematografica La Biennale Di Venezi in 2021.

MIRACLE is such a mix telling the story of Cristina and Preda. One is the story of a young girl trying to solve a worldly problem in the midst of a convent. The other is the story of a man obsessed with what has happened to this young girl and the frustration that leads to a shocking end.

Keeping the cast small allows the story to play out without distraction. Simply put, the story does not become bogged down by other things which kept my interest. I wanted to know Cristina’s story and I wanted to know why Preda was pushed to the point that he was. The choice of locations to film near the bridge and wooded area become a quiet character in the story as well.

MIRACLE is also an Official Venice Film Festival Selection for Director Apetri. The DVD includes a Director’s Commentary and the Bonus Apetri Short Film ‘A Very Small Trilogy of Loneliness’. A man, a woman and a child are seen by themselves at an isolated location in three sequences that convey a haunting sense of longing and alienation.

In the end – it is about a miracle.

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