Traffic

Based on a true story: Natalia and Ginel flee the poverty of their homeland, only to become entangled in the art heist of the century. A gripping, socially conscious heist film that reflects on the current state of Europe.

Hoping for a better future, Natalia and Ginel leave Romania for the Netherlands in search of work. Their young daughter stays behind with her grandmother in their hometown on the Danube. In Western Europe, they are not welcomed but ruthlessly exploited. Often, they are not paid at all. How can they break free from the vicious cycle of debt? - Through a twist of fate, a possible way out suggests itself: Ita, a shady friend from back home to whom Ginel owes money, comes up with the idea of robbing an art museum. Incredibly, they manage to steal artworks worth millions. The real challenge, however, still lies ahead: selling them.

Romania’s official submission for the Oscars, ›Traffic‹ takes the guise of a crime thriller to offer a powerful reflection on the dehumanization of migrant workers and the vast inequalities of modern Europe.

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