TO THE NORTH (Spre nord)

Followed by a Q&A with the actor Niko Becker and film critic Mihai Fulger

Based on a true story. 1996, open sea.
During his shift on a transatlantic ship’s deck, Joel, a religious Filipino sailor, discovers Dumitru, a Romanian stowaway hidden between some containers.
If he is spotted by the Taiwanese officers running the vessel, Dumitru is at risk to be thrown overboard. Joel decides to hide him, as a sign of his gratitude towards God. Soon, a dangerous cat and mouse game begins. When his crew, his own friends, even God Himself starts to turn their backs on him, Joel learns that he has to face his cruel destiny alone.

Director Mihai Mincan
Mihai Mincan, born in 1980, graduated from the University of Philosophy in Bucharest in 2002, and with and MA in Philosophy of Architecture, from the University of Poitiers, in 2003. Mihai studied Philosophy, dreaming of writing „the ultimate“ treatise on anonymity, which never saw the light of day. He was a journalist for 13 years, writing every day about events varying from funerals of unknown people, big court cases and poverty, to interviews with writers, musicians, and theatre or film directors. Since his first script, back in 2008, he wrote and directed short films, documentaries and long features, while still searching for the perfect short sentence. In 2022, his debut feature, “To the North” premiered in the Orizzonti competition of the 79th Venice International Film Festival.