Blocked by her grandmother’s superstition over a black cat, a young woman's emigration spirals into an absurdist village standoff that forces her to confront exactly what she is leaving behind.

Logline

On the cusp of leaving her rural Moldovan village for a new life abroad, Nina is stopped, quite literally, by an old superstition: a black cat has crossed the road. Her worried Grandmother refuses to let her pass, citing bad luck.

What begins as a petty standoff quickly spirals into an absurdist village-wide standstill that forces Nina to confront exactly what she is leaving behind.

Synopsis

Genre: Drama
Running Time: 15’45
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Screening Formats: 4K 5.1 DCP, ProRes.
Sound: 5.1 or Stereo.
Shot on Arri Alexa, 24p, original format 4K
Language: Romanian, Italian.
Subtitles: English.

Director’s Statement

The Republic of Moldova gained its independence in 1991. Since then, nearly 50% of the population has left in search of better opportunities abroad. I am one of them.

At 14 years old, I said goodbye to my friends, parents, and grandparents and immigrated to the United States. It remains the most difficult day of my life. This is the paradox of immigration: when you grow up in an "undesirable” place, you always want to leave, until it's time to go.

Now, fourteen years later, this emotional conflict is the heart of Hai Davai. Opportunity pushes you forward while the pain of abandoning home pulls you back. For much of the non-Western world, immigration is not just a transition, but a traumatic metamorphosis. Part of you fades to make room for the assimilated version.

We chose to shoot this story not as a gritty drama, but as a magical realist fable. By framing this painful departure through a lens of affection and absurdity, we aim to celebrate the quirks of the world our protagonist must leave behind, capturing a magic that, once lost, can never fully be reclaimed.