veronikastehr A complex story plot describing a tragic division of life paths of two female friends who found themselves either into grinding mill of bigotry in church structures or into that of a cold bureaucratic apparatus. This poetically told story leads us through meditative winter landscapes and dark interiors of the monastery where, besides obvious social issues, one can vaguely discern a disturbing relationship between the two friends consisting of perplexing resignation and self-destruction. The success of this work lies in the abundance of details which bring the audience into contemplation about human nature.

violentwavesofemotion "Beyond The Hills" is without a doubt compelling. Stretching beyond subject matters themselves, the film explores beautifully the thin layers among human relationships, especially when these relationships work primarily under strict environmental patterns. I did find certain scenes to be unnecessary and slightly hoped for better dialog but the outcome was still beautiful. I think it is a film which holds full potential to make you undergo many sentimental transgressions; you will find yourself feeling uneasy due to the very realistic representation of the events, you will shiver during the intimate moments and you will, to say the least, gasp during the final act. The two protagonists are giving exquisite performances; they both have this tremendous quality of emotionally transfixing you right at heart through their very presence and small individual movements. Cinematography is breathtaking; certain scenes were pretty darkish but mostly natural light works wonders. Recommended, quite obviously.

cecilia cecilia "Dealuri Dupa", aka "Beyond the Hills" is a Romanian movie of 2012. The director, Cristian Mungiu, offers two perspectives in this film. The first, found in the relationship of the two girls, whose lives have taken very different paths, despite the unique connection, which was formed between them during the orphanage years. The differences are so big that they cause serious tensions and conflicts. This bipolar environment, brings us to the second approach, which we find in the Romanian environment, in the hospital, in the streets of the city, and so on. This is a bipolar and contradictory reality. For me, the most interesting subject is the battle between religion and science, good and evil, what is considered right and wrong.

cripastor Mungiu has managed in his films a perfect balance between portraying specific Romanian social-cultural issues and in the same time rendering them universal for the public abroad. He touches some of the Romanian taboos like the Orthodox church and its often brainwash practises, the efficiency of God-like doctors or the dark side of some of the do-gooders in social aid and work. The irony is that while all the characters in the film proclaim often and loud that they are sympathetic towards the orphan girl they are also the authors of her greatest abuses , from financial rip off to medical neglect or physical restraint .The system itself is rejecting the poorest and most vulnerable young people as is pointed out throughout the film by the recurrent motif of 'we have nowhere to go' leaving them in the hands of an often merciless world .In the very best of tradition of the superstitious Christian Romanian culture the real problems are avoided as they will throw a negative light back on everyone so it is easiest to blame all on evil spirits .The last scene gives a great insight into an emotionally devoid society , when such individual drama will become another media circus headline.