Natalia and Ginel leave their home in Romania to work as seasonal workers in Belgium. They go in search of a better life, but problems start to pile up. Disillusioned and tired of being treated as second-class citizens, they decide to take matters into their own hands. Together with some old childhood friends, they plan a major art heist that will change their lives forever. The story is loosely based on true events – the 2012 theft of Picasso, Monet and Gauguin paintings from the Kunsthal Museum.
“When I walk around the city, I often see many hardworking people, like construction workers, who continue to be looked down on. Many times, during casual conversations, new acquaintances say to me: ‘Oh, Romania. My cleaning lady, my parents’ cleaning lady or my neighbour’s cleaning lady is Romanian too.’ It’s followed by an awkward silence, as we both realize how normal it has become to associate people from my birth country with those doing the jobs that are needed but no one else is eager to take.” (Teodora Mihai)
Teodora Mihai
Born in 1981, in Bucharest, Romania. In 1989 she emigrated to Belgium with her parents. She studied film at Sarah Lawrence College in upstate New York. Upon returning to Europe, she achieved distinction with films that strike a balance between social relevance and audio-visual poetry. Her documentary Waiting for August was nominated for the European Film Awards in 2014, La civil won the Prize of Courage in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.