Romanian Film Festival 2025 – “Between Shadow and Light”

This evocative film series explores the tension between darkness and illumination—both literal and metaphorical—within Romanian cinema. Between Shadow and Light invites audiences to experience stories that navigate the blurred lines between truth and illusion, memory and myth, oppression and resilience. Through carefully selected films, the festival showcases Romania’s cinematic mastery in portraying the human condition with stark realism, poetic nuance, and haunting beauty. From rural landscapes steeped in folklore to urban dramas shaped by post-communist realities, each screening offers a window into the soul of a nation grappling with its past and redefining its future.

The theme reflects the duality present in Romanian storytelling: the shadow of history, censorship, and trauma contrasted with the light of creativity, resistance, and cultural rebirth. Whether through minimalist dialogue, long takes, or symbolic imagery, these films challenge viewers to confront uncomfortable truths while celebrating the enduring spirit of Romanian artistry. Between Shadow and Light is not just a festival—it’s a cinematic meditation on identity, transformation, and the power of storytelling to illuminate even the darkest corners.

As our primary visual organ, the eye symbolizes knowledge and openness to new dimensions. It represents clarity, observation, awareness, consciousness, vigilance, and intuition—qualities that guide us beyond surface perception into deeper understanding. The guarding eye serves as our guide, protector, and judge, watching over us. It leads us toward the light, illuminating truth and revealing the unseen. In its gaze lies the power to awaken, to discern, and to transcend.

All movies are in Romanian language with English subtitles.

For more information, schedule of showings, and to get free tickets, see https://hora-mn.org/2025/08/27/romanian-film-festival-2025/