A Higher Law

Octave Chelaru took part in the LIM | Less is More workshop in 2018 for the development of his first feature film “A Higher Law” (Balaur)

Synopsis

Ecaterina, an attractive Religion teacher and wife of the town priest, gets involved with Iuliu, an audacious 16-year-old pupil of hers. He starts confessing to the priest.

Intentions

I have always been interested in how set beliefs seem to offer an explanation for everything. When I read a story that took place in my small hometown about a high school student committing suicide after a relationship with his religious studies teacher (also a priest’s wife), I thought it was a tragedy but that was all there was to it. Yet the story kept coming up in conversations with my parents who still live there. I found out that the whole community was supporting the teacher during her trial. Then it hit me, everybody knew. The level of hypocrisy was through the roof. I decided to make a film inspired by this story, trying to understand what lies beneath this seemingly in-control surface.