Sunday November 16, 1 pm
2024, 1 hour and 44’, Romanian
Igor Cobileanski’s Comatogen is a gripping, genre-blending drama that unfolds over two tense days in Bucharest. Structured in a “Rashomon”-style narrative, the film presents multiple subjective perspectives on the same chain of events, revealing the emotional and moral complexity of its characters. At the heart of the story is Alina (Daniela Nane), a nurse who cares for comatose patients and leads a quiet, restrained life. When she reconnects with a former flame—a boastful real estate agent who offers her troubled son a job—Alina sees a glimmer of hope for her fractured family. But that hope is short-lived. Her son steals a large sum of money from the agent, triggering a desperate spiral that forces Alina into morally ambiguous territory.
Determined to protect her son from prison—or worse—Alina strikes a dangerous deal with Mihaela (Ada Lupu), the wealthy and enigmatic daughter of one of her patients. As the story shifts between viewpoints, Comatogen explores themes of maternal sacrifice, social disparity, and the fragility of trust. Cobileanski’s direction captures the raw texture of contemporary Romanian life while subverting genre expectations, making Comatogen a standout in the current wave of Eastern European cinema. The film premiered at the Transylvania International Film Festival and was recently featured in the Parallels and Encounters section of the European Film Festival Palić, earning praise for its layered storytelling and emotional depth