Marilena from P7 2006

In a suburb of Bucharest, a 13-year-old boy, Andrei (Gabriel Huian), and a few friends watch the prostitutes’ nightly shows from a rooftop, noting how they are taken away by drivers. He falls in love with one of the girls, Marilena (Mădălina Ghițescu), and quickly learns that he needs a decent sum of money to get close to her. In a bold, misguided move, he steals his father’s salary and heads to the prostitutes’ meeting place, where the pimp (Andi Vasluianu) is present.

From there, Marilena and another prostitute accompany the boy to a nearby pub, where the Rom Elvis is singing, with Elvis Romano translating Elvis Presley’s lyrics into his own language. The prostitutes tease Andrei, telling him that he needs a car to date them, then they leave. The boy asks Marilena for her phone number, and she writes something on his hand.

Andrei sends a dedication for “Marilena from P7” to the local radio station. The prostitute is in an old man’s house, listening to the radio, and the song Are You Lonesome Tonight? is playing, sung by Elvis Presley.

Among her clients, Marilena falls in love with a man nicknamed Giani (Cătălin Paraschiv). One night, however, she spots Giani in his car in front of a store, accompanied by another woman, and becomes very discouraged.

Andrei finds a way to get hold of a car and plans to steal his father’s trolleybus. He manages to do so, together with his friends. His father sees him and starts following the boys with another driver. Arriving at the prostitutes’ meeting place, the boys cannot find Marilena.

Andrei recognizes Giani’s car parked in front of block P7, so he goes in. Marilena and Giani are in her apartment; the girl goes to the restroom for a minute. Andrei (Gabriel Huian) manages to sneak into the apartment, and watches how, while still talking to Giani, Marilena cuts her jugular vein. After realizing what had happened, Giani becomes frightened and runs away; the pimp sees him leaving, and Andrei goes into the room and looks down at Marilena, who is lying with blood spilled over her.

The news about Marilena’s suicide spreads fast around the neighborhood.