The Romanian film director and screenwriter Cristian Mungiu has entered the official Cannes 2012 competition with the movie “Dupa dealuri” (Beyond the Hills). The film marks the return of the Romanian director to the official competition at Cannes, five years after the drama "4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days” won the Palme d’Or in 2007.

The movie “Dupa dealuri” (Beyond the Hills) by Cristian Mungiu is based on the non-fiction novels by Tatiana Niculescu- Bran. The movie is centered on the friendship between two girls Alina (Cristina Flutur) and Voichita (Cosmina Stratan), who meet again after several years, during which one of them became a nun and the other one moved to Germany. The movie captures Alina's attempt to rekindle the girls' friendship and regain the affection of Voichita, who now devotes her whole life to faith. The rehearsals and filming took place in Romania, in Campina and Bucharest.

Mungiu entered the film projects competition organized by the National Movie Center in September last year, with this movie, then under the name “Provizoriu” (Provisional) .

Mungiu became famous with the film “Occident”(West) in 2002. After receiving the Palme D'Or in 2007, he produced and participated in the collective movie “Amintiri din Epoca de Aur” (Tales from the Golden Age) in 2009.

The movie 'Beyond the Hills' is produced by Mobra Films and co-produced by Why Not Productions, Les Films du Fleuve, France 3 Cinema and Mandragora Movies. Distribution rights for the movie in the US were bought by Sundance Selects.

Ioana Toader, ioana.toader@romania-insider.com