A breathtaking thriller based on a true story. It’s the year 1996: two young men, a Bulgarian and a Romanian are dreaming of a better life in America. They manage to get on board of a transatlantic container ship, which is docked in the port of the Spanish city of Algeciras. They hide in the labyrinth of corridors between the piled containers.

The crew of Taiwanese officers and Filipino seamen usually make quick work of stowaways. But the Romanian guy Dimitru is holding a bible in his hand when he is discovered by the devout Filipino seaman Joel, who is now caught between his faith and the strict regiment of the officers in the service of his employers. This moving drama confronts us with a topic that is more actual than ever in view of the wave of refugees.

Mihai Mincan, born in 1980, graduated from the University of Philosophy in Bucharest in 2002, followed by an MBA degree from the University of Poitiers/France. Since 2004, he’s been working as journalist at some of Romania’s biggest newspapers and magazines. In 2008, he wrote his first script for the short film THE PALM LINES, which was selected at festivals in Locarno, Rotterdam and Cottbus. Afterwards, he wrote and directed two short animations, three short films and two documentaries, which premiered at European festivals. He also worked as a scriptwriter for other Romanian filmmakers. TO THE NORTH is his feature-film debut.

Filmography (selection): 2017 THE COMET (short film), 2019 EMIGRANT BLUES: A ROAD MOVIE IN 2 1/2 CHAPTERS, 2019 THE MAN WHO WOULD BE FREE, 2022 TO THE NORTH