Meda sau partea nu prea fericita a lucrurilor

This feature-length debut from Emanuel Pârvu, winner of the award for Best Director at this year's Sarajevo Film Festival, was produced without any funding from the Romanian film promotion sector. The plot of the film (which originally went by the name of 'Fatherhood') revolves around Meda, a young girl, and her foster father Doru, who keeps his head above water by working as a freelance lumberjack. A week after the death of his wife the Youth Welfare Office demands he prove that he is in possession of sufficient funds to support his foster daughter, otherwise she will be required to return to the orphanage, an outcome neither of them want. Doru attempts to find additional work and borrow money, yet nobody is able or willing to help. The only way out would appear to be an admittedly illegal, yet highly lucrative offer put to him by his fellow villagers: but is he willing to allow himself to be corrupted just like the others? EG