When we think of trilogies, we think of stories like “The Hobbit,” “The Godfather,” or “The Hunger Games“—three books or films telling the same story over the course of those three books or films. In these instances, we can’t go into a second or third installment without having seen the previous film. This isn’t the case for Bogdan George Apetri’s film trilogy.
“Just as in Balzac’s novels, the main characters in one film can become secondary characters in the next,” Apetri stated when talking about bringing “Miracle” to life. The world, the characters, the location are all the same as we saw in “Unidentified” but the story itself is self-contained and independent…and thrilling.
Having premiered at the Venice Film Festival, “Miracle” is a crime drama that centers around a not-yet nun, Christina, who sneaks away from the monastery. Having needed to attend to an “urgent matter,” Christina goes all over town but can not find who she is looking for, but on her way back she is met with an unexpected fate causing her to go missing.
Here is the official synopsis:
Divided into two chapters, Miracle follows young nun CRISTINA (19) as she sneaks out of her isolated monastery to attend to an urgent matter. Her enigmatic journey takes her all around town, but she is seemingly unable to solve her problem and find the man she is looking for. Out of options, she returns in the evening only to meet an unexpected fate on her way back to the convent.
The second part of the film deals with MARIUS PREDA (44), a determined police detective trying to understand what happened to her. Marius retraces Cristina’s journey, step by step, through all the places she visited. In a perfectly mirrored structure, his investigation uncovers clues and revelations leading not only to the unfathomable truth behind Cristina’s mysterious actions but possibly, to an actual miracle as well.
Memento International boarded “Miracle” ahead of its world premiere in Venice last year. Now, it is coming to North America. Film Movement acquired the rights last fall and will be hosting the U.S. theatrical premiere of “Miracle” on Friday, June 3, 2022, at Film Forum in New York.
“Miracle” is the third feature film for New York-based Apetri and stars Ioana Bugarin, Valeriu Andriuţă, and Emanuel Pârvu. Ahead of the film’s premiere in Greenwich Village this summer, check out the new exclusive trailer below.