Graduation (2016)
The premise of a father with high ambitions for his daughter as she is about to embark for studying in England and just needs good grades for the final exam, seems like a minor drama. And it is a very enclosed personal family drama, but it exposes so much of Romanian society, which makes it really unique. The father has clearly lost faith in Romania and desperately wants a better future for his daughter, which in his mind means she needs to study and start a life in western Europe.
Things start with a blow as she becomes the victim of a failed rape assault attempt, which naturally puts her upcoming exam performance in jeopardy. The father seems like a good honest man, but he feels forced to enter the corruption problem of Romania. This opens up interesting dilemmas on how to stay true to ones own morals within an immoral system.
While the movie is definitely a critique of Romania and its corruptions issues, there is still a lot of compassion for the people and love for the country, as no one here is a bad person, they just try to live their best within norms that are silently accepted yet widely resented.
Rating: 4