To the North, a film by Mihai Mican
Based on a true story. 1996, open sea.
During his shift on a transatlantic ship’s deck, Joel, a religious Filipino sailor, discovers Dumitru, a Romanian stowaway hidden between some containers. If he is spotted by the Taiwanese officers running the vessel, Dumitru is at risk to be thrown overboard. Joel decides to hide him, as a sign of his gratitude towards God. Soon, a dangerous cat and mouse game begins. When his crew, his own friends, even God itself start to turn their backs on him, Joel learns that he has to face his cruel destiny alone.
Produced by: Radu Stancu, Ioana Lascar, Cyriac Auriol, Poli Angelova, Konstantinos Vassilaros, Nikolay Todorov, Mikuláš Novotný
Screenplay: Mihai Mincan
Cinematography: George CHIPER-LILLEMARK
„It is a daring and unflinching representation of the things that can happen in international waters. A story about moral choices, kindness and compromise, courage and fear. To The North is a compelling tale that leaves you wondering far after the credits finished rolling."
Seth Eelen
"With To the North, one of the year’s most highly-expected Romanian films, Mihai Mincan makes a stunning entrance into Romanian cinema."
Ionut Mares
"An ambitious thriller about survival. A film that departs from the usual recipe of Romanian cinema."
Mihai Șerban
„To the North pulls you to the edge of your seat. It feels as though there's no escape. We'll soon come to see that roles are not as fixed as they appear, a hero could be a villain in the right circumstances, a victim might turn predator - by the end we root for everyone and no one, caught as they all are between the devil and the deep blue sea."
Amber Wilkinson
INTERNATIONAL RELEASE: 04.09.2022
ROMANIAN RELEASE: 17.03.2023
DIRECTOR: Mihai Mincan
Language: English, Tagalog, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Mandarin
CAST:
Soliman Cruz, Niko Becker, Bart GUINGONA, Alexandre Nguyen, Olivier Ho Hio Heen, Noel Sto. Domingo, Baldo Gueye
FESTIVALS AND AWARDS
Venice International Film Festival / Premio Bisato D’Oro Best Movie
Thessaloniki Film Festival / Nominee ( Golden Alexander ), International Competition – Mihai Mincan
Haifa International Film Festival / Nominee ( Carmel Award ), International Competition -Mihai Mincan
Audience Award / Les Films Des Cannes a Bucarest