Thou Shalt Not Kill is inspired by a media scandal that shook Romania a couple of years ago, ending up with Romania's health minister resigning after public outrage over the use of sub-standard disinfectants in dozens of Romanian hospitals.
The film tells the story of a young surgeon who starts a solitary fight against a corrupted system after the sudden and dubious death of one of his patients. The film deals with the theme of moral compromise and the price we pay when we silence our conscience.
The cast includes top-notch Romanian actors on the rise such as Cristina Flutur, Best Actress Award in Cannes 2012 for Beyond the Hills, the first-timer Alexandru Suciu, as well as Gelu Colceag and Tania Filip.
"We grew up in communism. In those times, we were always told not to speak up. I thought this has changed by now. But in 2018 we hear the same thing: shut up, it's not your problem, let others fix it. Our film tells the story of a doctor who cares, who gets involved and who has the courage to say out loud that the system is corrupt,” say Gabi Virginia Sarga and Cătălin Rotaru. The directors believe that many people will identify with the film because “We all have been living heroes for five minutes…unfortunately, only for five minutes.”
"This film tells a very timely story, crucially important both for us as individuals and as a society. It’s a film that will most likely live a mark on the audience because it forces you to face those silent choices that we all make on a daily basis. It’s like a mirror that puts you face-to-face with your own conscience and has you ask yourself: What would I have done? “ says producer Adina Sădeanu.
Simon Gabriele, Head of Acquisitions at Indie Sales, says: “We are delighted to work with Catalin & Gabi. The film is a very strong and universal statement about corruption and modern heroism. We follow the moral fight of a surgeon who won’t let the system win. ”
The film is produced by Axis Media Production, founded by Adina Sădeanu, and co-produced by Green Cat Film, founded by the two directors. Thou Shalt Not Kill was funded with the support of the Romanian Film Fund, the National Television of Romania and Zenith Media. It was shoot in 21 days in Bucharest in November 2017 - as the directors put it, “It was a real tour of force for the entire team.”
Romanian distribution is handled by Idea Film Distribution which will release it at the first semester 2019.
