Bachelor’s degree (2016)

Directed by: Cristian Mungiu | 128 minutes | drama | Actors: Adrian Titieni, Maria-Victoria Dragus, Lia Bugnar, Malina Manovici, Vlad Ivanov, Gelu Colceag, Rares Andrici, Petre Ciubotaru, Alexandra Davidescu, Emanuel Parvu, Lucian Ifrim, Gheorghe Ifrim, Adrian Vãncicã, Orsolya Moldován, Tudorlianaleanu Mocanu, David Hodorog, Constantin Cojocaru

The Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, previously awarded a Golden Palm for ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’, won the prize for best director at the Cannes Film Festival with ‘Bacalaureat’. Bacalaureat is a powerful, universal drama about the challenges of parenthood. How far will you go to solve a problem? Will you stay true to your principles or will you do everything in your power to prop up things?

Main character and father Romeo Aldea (played beautifully subdued by Adrian Titieni), a surgeon by profession, lives lovelessly with his wife, the librarian Magda (Lia Bugnar). For daughter Eliza (Maria-Victoria Dragus), a study in Cambridge, England, is on the horizon. Just a few more hurdles/exams and she can travel to a ‘more civilized world’. But bad luck strikes, Eliza is assaulted and this traumatic experience puts her future in the promised (Eng)land in question.

Papa Romeo is proud of the fact that he and Magda have managed to raise their daughter without the Romanian mores of favoritism and corruption. He almost feels obligated to push his moral boundaries as well to help her get the final high marks she needs. According to the principle “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” he uses acquaintances (including a childhood friend, now a police inspector, a teacher at his daughter’s school and a fraudulent customs chief) to get the Holy Grail for Eliza. to ensure.

Bacalaureat is masterful in portraying a man in his fifties, respected by his environment, but ultimately disillusioned. He is someone who hopes to give more color, meaning to life through his daughter. Eliza is becoming more and more assertive and increasingly expresses her doubts about her father’s involvement and sideline activity (the romp with mistress Sandra). Key statement from Romeo: “Everything to help you live a better life. Have we gone to such lengths for you for nothing?”

The contrasts, the well-kept interior against the desolation of the neighborhood and its apparently involuntary vandalism, this film slowly gets under your skin. ‘Bacalaureat’ gives a perfect picture of the country Romania: corruption and compromises are the order of the day. Will you choose to survive or will you try to stick your head above the ground? Romeo withstands everything almost emotionless and that makes it all the more harrowing. Honesty is the best policy? Yes, but that will only give you a shit job…