Imaculat/Immaculate, directed by Monica Stan and George Chiper-Lillemark, is Romania's proposal for the "Best International Feature Film" category of the 2023 Oscars, the Romanian Film Centre (CNC) announced. The feature received three awards at last year's Venice Film Festival, including the debut award Luigi De Laurentis Award Lion of the Future.

"Imaculat tells a story in which the characters' inner desires build a world so authentic that it almost stirs up rebellion. A psychological drama based on real events, a story of survival to a point. Then it becomes a story of liberation," CNC said.

The drama follows Daria, a young woman who enters rehab to fight her heroin addiction. But the new world she enters is in complete contrast with everything she knows. At 18, she seems naive and innocent, but still retains the traits of a good family girl, principled, educated and eager to get her Baccalaureate and go to college. But this new world she enters triggers major changes inside her.

The film stars Ana Dumitrașcu, Vasile Pavel and Cezar Grumăzescu, joined by Rareș Andrici, Ilona Brezoianu, Bogdan Farcaș, Ionuț Niculae, Florin Hrițcu, Tiberiu Dobrică, Ninel Petrache, Dan Ursu, Ozana Oancea, Diana Dumbravă, and Cristina Buburuz.

The shortlist for the 2023 Oscar nominations will be announced by the Academy on December 21, 2022. The 95th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 12, 2023, in Los Angeles.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Imaculat)