Graduation 2017

Romeo is a middle‑aged doctor working at a local hospital in Transylvania, a region whose quiet routines mask the quiet tremors of a society in transition. He shares a home with his wife, Magda, and their 18‑year‑old daughter, Eliza, whose stellar performance has earned a scholarship to Cambridge University. To safeguard that future, Eliza must maintain near‑perfect marks; even a single slip could derail the dream of studying abroad. Romeo is a devoted father, driving Eliza to school each day and projecting a calm confidence that everything will go smoothly.

The family’s rhythm is shattered when Eliza is assaulted near her school. She sustains a sprained wrist and is emotionally shaken, but she is clear that the attacker did not succeed in a rape. The incident becomes more than a crime scene; it is a test of trust, resilience, and the unsettling overlaps between private pain and public duty. The next morning, Eliza must face her first exam, but a cast on her wrist complicates the writing, and the headmaster initially tries to exclude her by arguing that the cast could hide notes. Sandra, who teaches at Eliza’s school and is romantically involved with Romeo, steps in to advocate for Eliza, and the headmaster relents. Yet time is tight, and Eliza’s cast slows her down, threatening the flawless results she needs.

A darker thread runs alongside this family’s struggle: at the police station, the chief inspector hints at a stark choice. In exchange for expediting a liver transplant for Cratically influential official Mr. Bulai, Rome is told, Eliza’s exam results could be manipulated. The offer unsettles Magda, who immediately rejects the idea that Romania’s corruption could shape her daughter’s fresh start. Romeo, torn between filial loyalty and ethical boundaries, argues that the exams are merely a formality and that any shortcut could backfire. Eliza herself listens to her father but does not commit, leaving the door open to her own judgment.

As the days unfold, the investigation deepens. Romeo glances at CCTV footage from the morning of the attack and speaks with Marius, Eliza’s boyfriend. Marius’s attitude—his apparent detachment and late involvement—sits uneasily with Romeo, who suspects that even those closest to Eliza may not fully grasp what happened. Eliza and Marius are often apart—whether by circumstance or choice—as she carries on with her studies and life. When Eliza is summoned to fetch Romeo after his mother collapses, she demands honesty: will her father tell Magda about the affair with Sandra? She wonders aloud whether her other grades could have also been “fixed.” That night, Magda confirms she knew about the relationship and expresses a desire for Eliza to complete her examinations on her own terms, even as she urges Romeo to move out.

The professional front intensifies. The following day at the hospital, prosecutors press to interview Mr. Bulai about his alleged corruption, and Romeo resists, mindful that the patient’s health could deteriorate under the stress of an interrogation. The prosecutors warn that both Romeo and Eliza could face charges if the truth about the exam manipulation comes to light. Romeo seeks guidance from the chief inspector again, who reassures him that the culprit behind the attack will eventually be identified in a police lineup. He also confronts Marius about the lineup, and Marius refuses to participate, insisting he did not witness the assault. Romeo accuses him of cowardice for not intervening and for detailing events only after the fact, and he orders Marius to stay away from Eliza.

The personal and the professional collide in a tense sequence. Romeo visits the headmaster to warn that prosecutors are aware of the alleged plan, only to be met with evasive answers and a warning of consequences if he returns. That evening, a bus ride reveals a shadow of danger: one suspect from the lineup is seen nearby, and Romeo, compelled by a growing sense of responsibility, follows but loses his way in a rough part of town. His detour ends at Sandra’s apartment, where he agrees to babysit her son the next morning, a small, intimate moment that underscores how fragile boundaries have become.

Tragedy strikes again when Bulai dies of a heart attack, removing one of the key players from the corrupt scheme and shifting the legal calculus. The prosecutors indicate that the investigation into Bulai’s crimes will continue, while Romeo, increasingly cautious, agrees to cooperate with questions come Monday. In the meantime, he helps Sandra’s son, Matei, by enrolling him in a speech therapy program, a gesture that signals Romeo’s longing to repair damage and provide stability where fear and accusation have taken root.

In the concurrent arc of Eliza’s life, the moment of truth arrives at her graduation. She reveals a possible change of plans: she may not go to England after all, allowing the future to remain open to her own choice. Romeo concedes that Cambridge would be a loss for many, but emphasizes that it is ultimately her decision. In a small but telling turn, Eliza explains that her teachers gave her extra time to complete her last exam, meaning she did not need to rely on any underhanded fix. The scene closes with a quiet, hopeful note: Eliza asks Romeo to capture a photograph of her with her graduating class, a simple request that embodies the fragile balance between ambition, family, and integrity.

Across these intertwined threads—the pressure of exams, the shadow of corruption, the strain of secrecy, and the tentative steps toward forgiveness—the film crafts a measured, morally complex portrait of a family caught between loyalty and conscience. It asks what it means to pursue a better future when the path is stained by compromises, and whether healing is possible when the past refuses to stay behind.