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One Step Behind the Seraphim

Directed by Daniel Sandu
Sunday 27 October, 5.00pm
Followed by Q&A with lead actor Vlad Ivanov
Topic: DANIEL SANDU

UK Premiere. Followed by Q&A with lead actor Vlad Ivanov.
Hosted by festival director Ramona Mitrica and author Mike Phillips.

(2017 | Romania | Drama |150 min | in Romanian, with English subtitles)

Stars: Vlad Ivanov, Stefan Iancu, Toto Dumitrescu

A tale of clashing loyalties, set in an Orthodox Theological Seminary. Gabriel, a teenager who wants to become a priest is caught in the fight for power between an incorruptible but abusive priest (Vlad Ivanov) and a cunning, dishonest and unscrupulous secular teacher. Daniel Sandu’s directorial debut is build around his real experiences at the theological seminary.

“Daniel Sandu’s break-out debut was based on his own experiences as a teenage boy who enrolled in a seminary. At the time, he says, he thought it would be “something like [the] Harry Potter school,” though his five years at St. George Orthodox Theological Seminary would be a far cry from Hogwarts-in-the-Carpathians. ” (Christopher Vourlias for Variety)