Based on the true story of Romanians who, in 2012, stole paintings by Monet, Gauguin and Picasso, among others, from a Dutch museum and burned them to cover their tracks, Traffic [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Teodora Ana Mihai
scheda film] is Teodora Ana Mihai’s second feature, which is currently competing in the Romanian Days sidebar of the Transilvania International Film Festival. She elaborates on how she shaped a darkly humorous take on serious themes, while drawing on her own experience of Europe’s East-West divide.

Cineuropa: The real-life story on which the film is based is anecdotal – it circulated in all the media back then, prompting laughter and indignation, while the film balances drama and comedy. What defined that approach?
Teodora Ana Mihai: It is a dramatic story at its core, but when serious subjects are approached with some levity, audiences tend to engage more. Cristian Mungiu, who wrote the script, and I both agreed that humour helps convey dramatic themes more effectively. Also, using humour can make the film less niche and potentially reach a broader audience.

The funny episodes are rather in the latter part of the film, shot in Romania, while the immigrant scenes in Rotterdam are bleaker. Was that intentional?
Perhaps that’s the perception, especially because absurd elements pile up in the second half. But there’s absurdity even in the darker parts – like the scene with the cushion-sewing. It’s more about accumulation than clear division.

Tell us more about your collaboration with Cristian Mungiu.
Before working on Traffic, we had already worked together on my debut fiction feature, La Civil [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Teodora Ana Mihai
scheda film] – he was a co-producer on that project and gave feedback late in the editing process. Then, he also became more aware of my personal background as the child of Romanian immigrants in Belgium, which connected deeply with the themes of this new project. I grew up with one foot in the East and one in the West. I know both cultures intimately, and Cristian felt I was well placed to direct this story, whose script he had been writing since the real events happened.

You must have had some input in terms of the script.
I wanted a strong female character, and in the early drafts, that wasn’t fully developed. But Cristian has written some of the most memorable female roles in cinema, so I knew it was in good hands. I also pitched the idea of making a heist film without showing the heist – just portraying everything around it. Cristian did not agree, though – he felt we’d lose too many viewers and wanted to keep a broader appeal.

What about Anamaria Vartolomei in the female role, who is currently appearing in major European films? How did you cast her?
I had her on my radar after Happening [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Anamaria Vartolomei
scheda film], and we agreed within the team that she was a great choice. When we finally met, we realised we had much in common – she lives in Paris and is a well-known French actress, but she is also very Romanian. Her background mirrored mine. For both of us, it was a meaningful opportunity: her first time acting in Romanian, and my first fiction feature in Romania.

How do you personally identify with the film’s tone of absurdity?
We were careful not to be moralistic. Both East and West receive their fair share of criticism. I didn’t want to romanticise one side and demonise the other. I am both. And I believe that it’s precisely the absurdist humour in the film that carries important messages – it’s up to the viewer to engage with them or not.

Some viewers might feel confronted [with something unpleasant], but if people are offended instead of reflecting, then maybe they are missing the point. Cinema should be an exercise in empathy. It invites viewers into someone else’s reality, prompting questions and reflection, especially now, as the political right gains ground across Europe. The goal was to hold up a mirror to society – without taking sides, but also without avoiding responsibility.

As someone who immigrated, do you feel Europe is truly unified?
Honestly, no. I wish I were more optimistic, but I don’t see real unity happening any time soon. Eastern Europe remains in a disadvantaged position, and we keep telling these stories because the divide still exists. Even the film’s run in Belgium was short – it’s mostly in a foreign language, and perhaps the subject matter doesn’t appeal to the mainstream. Maybe people just don’t want to see the other side.

While watching Traffic, a famous saying comes to mind: “In a fire, between a Rembrandt and a cat, I would save the cat,” and one can feel your sympathy for the characters owing to the circumstances that led them into this situation.
The story is anecdotal, but the film asks viewers to understand why these characters have reached this point. We’re not applauding them, but we’re also not judging them, morally. We’re asking the audience to look deeper.