09/04/2025 - Set against Romania’s post-revolution backdrop, the film uncovers a forgotten chapter of history while following a family’s journey towards reconciliation

Y by Maria Popistașu and Alexandru Baciu (© Sabina Costinel)

Y is the debut feature co-directed by Romanian actress Maria Popistașu and screenwriter Alexandru Baciu. Set against the backdrop of post-revolution Romania, the film uncovers a forgotten chapter of the nation’s history while telling a deeply personal story of reckoning and reconciliation. Currently at its final post-production stage, Y has participated in several key industry platforms and is gearing up for its release.

The story follows Olga, her father and her two sisters, who have been living a carefree life thanks to the fortune of her grandmother, Ileana, a former lawyer. Her sudden death disrupts the family’s fragile balance – especially for Olga, who is haunted by a deathbed confession: the international adoption files Ileana handled after the Romanian Revolution are riddled with irregularities, and the fates of several children remain unknown. To clear her grandmother’s name and confront her own moral dilemma, Olga is compelled to unearth painful truths and make peace with the past. The cast includes Maria Popistașu herself, Ionel Mihăilescu, Lucreţia Mandric, Nicoleta Hâncu, Victoria Raileanu, Ioana Blaj, Ada Navrot and Ana Ciontea.

Y is written and directed by Popistașu and Baciu. An academically trained theatre and film actress, Popistașu made her Romanian debut in Love Sick by Tudor Giurgiu in 2006, and gained critical acclaim through her close collaboration with director Radu Muntean in Tuesday, After Christmas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile], One Floor Below [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile], Alice T. [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile] and Întregalde [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile]. Baciu, a frequent collaborator with Răzvan Rădulescu and Radu Muntean, co-wrote The Paper Will Be Blue, Boogie [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dragos Vîlcu
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile], Tuesday, After Christmas, One Floor Below, Alice T., and Întregalde. The duo previously co-directed the short The Seagull, based on a script by Popistașu. The film’s crew includes Carmen Tofeni as director of photography, Andu Radu as editor and colourist, production designers Iulia Fulicea and Victor Fulicea, and costume designer Rovena Andrei.

Producer Anamaria Antoci, of Tangaj Production, told Cineuropa: “Y presents a compelling perspective on legacy, moral responsibility and the unseen costs of personal comfort. What began as a reflection on inheritance evolved into a nuanced exploration of family dynamics and unresolved histories. The film stands out for its courage in addressing a rarely discussed chapter in Romania’s recent past. It is a project that challenges both its creators and its audience to re-examine the boundaries of personal accountability.”

Y is being produced by Anamaria Antoci for Romania’s Tangaj Production, with Ana Voicu serving as executive producer, in co-production with Effie Skrobolas, Vassilis Tzanidis, George Kyriakos and Costas Labropoulos for Greece’s View Master Films. The project has been supported by the Romanian National Film Center, the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center, the European Union’s NextGenerationEU initiative and Romanian Television. Y has been presented at major industry platforms, including Thessaloniki’s Agora Crossroads, ArrasDays, where it won the ArrasDays City Prize, and Sofia Meetings. The film will be distributed in Romania by Tribe Films.