Matei Child Miner

The fiction debut of documentary maker Alexandra Gulea is about an 11-year-old boy, Matei, who has been living with his grandfather because his parents have gone to work in Italy. The boy is dismissed from school following a mix-up, and his normally understanding grandfather responds in an unexpectedly violent way.
Matei runs away to Isidor, a shepherd in the hills. His life is changed by a visit to the Natural History Museum in Bucharest, but when he arrives back home, he faces more changes than he could possibly have wished for. When his mother arrives to take him away, he refuses to go. Matei thinks his future lies in Romania. He will now have to grow up quickly.
Gulea films in beautiful, calm compositions, finding splendour - and even humour - in the gloomiest of settings. Her eye for the beauty of urban and natural landscapes alone make this film an exceptional addition to recent Romanian filmmaking. Nominated for The Big Screen Award.