Romanian filmmaker and transmedia artist Ioana Mischie is currently completing post-production on her debut feature, Catane, an absurdist comedy inspired by real-life events in rural Romania. A prolific writer-director, Mischie is known for her work across film, VR and transmedia storytelling. Her projects have been showcased at more than 250 festivals worldwide, including the Venice Biennale, Cannes XR, Palm Springs, Thessaloniki and FIPADOC, and she has received accolades such as Webby Awards, European XR Awards and the GoEast Open Frame Award.

Set in the remote Romanian village of Catane, the story takes its cue from an astonishing real-life event in which all of the village’s residents declared themselves disabled in order to avoid paying taxes. When an inspection team is dispatched to investigate the matter, the villagers unite in the face of mounting pressure to deliver a poetic, humorous and satirical response to the absurdities of a dysfunctional system.

The main cast is led by Costel Cașcaval (Terminus Paradis), Iulia Lumănare (Familiar [+lee también:
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The film is written and directed by Mischie, and the script was initially her graduation thesis from the National University of Theatre and Film “Ion Luca Caragiale” (UNATC) in Bucharest, and was later developed through a number of labs and initiatives, including Berlinale Talents – Script Station, the Sundance Workshop Capalbio, Cannes Maison des Scénaristes, Les Arcs Film School Village, Eastweek Scriptwriting Workshop for New Talents and the Low Budget Film Forum. It received the Best Feature Script Award at both the Manaki Script Lab in North Macedonia and the FEST – Pitching Forum in Portugal.

“This film tackles essentialism, rather than capitalism,” says Mischie, who based elements of the script on her own childhood experiences in a rural Romanian village, “as we try to reveal what may be under the surface of bureaucratic, technological or material layers. It becomes a cinematic mirror of mutual empathy in an over-polarised world. The atemporal rural world questions our spiritual, material and creative neo-roots.” She adds: “This unusual script is part of a larger story world, one that archives the hidden layers of pre-depopulated villages in Romania.”

Filming took place over 21 days in a remote village in Transylvania. The production employed sustainable filmmaking practices, including repurposing costumes and sets, and is expected to be certified as the first green production in the region. The crew brings together Romanian and Italian professionals. George Dăscălescu serves as director of photography, with production design by Cristina Barbu and art direction by Bogdan Ionescu. Editing is handled by Ciprian Cimpoi. The sound design is led by Ștefan Damian, with sound mixing by Valerio Brini and colour grading courtesy of Angelo Francavilla. The original score is being composed by Italian musician Emiliano Mazzenga.

Catane is a Romanian-Italian co-production, staged by Sorin Baican for Studioset Production and Ioana Mischie for Storyscapes, in co-production with Ilaria Malagutti for Bologna-based Mammut Film. It has received support from the Romanian National Film Center (CNC), Italy’s MiC (Ministero della Cultura), Eurimages and local sponsors. Its international sales are handled by Italian outfit Intramovies, while Forum Film Romania is set to distribute the movie domestically following its world premiere at a major international festival in 2025.