Article by Carlotta Pegollo

Translation by Carolina Criscuolo

A woman stands beyond a net, armed with a rifle, peering into the empty pool below where a caged tiger, the pet of a gangster, lies.

This marks the beginning of Andrei Tănase’s film, developed as part of the TorinoFilmLab 2019 which globally premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2023. The opening scene introduces the two main characters, their connection is evident through the first frames.

Leggi tutto: “TIGRU/DAY OF THE TIGER” by Andrei Tănase

The plot, inspired by a news story, is straightforward: in a small Transylvanian town, Vera (Cătălina Moga), a veterinarian at the local zoo, is facing a difficult time with her husband Toma (Paul Ipate), an actor and theatre director, following the death of their newborn son. One day, a recently relocated tiger escapes and roams the neighbourhood. Vera is tasked with locating and rescuing it before the authorities — or even worse, the hunter — take action.The plot, inspired by a news story, is straightforward: in a small Transylvanian town, Vera (Cătălina Moga), a veterinarian at the local zoo, is facing a difficult time with her husband Toma (Paul Ipate), an actor and theatre director, following the death of their newborn son. One day, a recently relocated tiger escapes and roams the neighbourhood. Vera is tasked with locating and rescuing it before the authorities — or even worse, the hunter — take action.

Tigru/Day of the Tiger, the director’s debut feature film, is a compelling one because, despite the simplicity of its plot, it manages to approach Romanian society with both irony and criticism, portraying a society that is oppressive and bigoted. The film boldly captures this aspect.

Primarily, the male-dominated world surrounding Vera carries a negative undertone: her husband is unfaithful, church officials decline to bury their unbaptized son on consecrated grounds, gangsters are ridiculously armed with chains, and the hunter’s objective is to turn the tiger into his own personal trophy.

The tiger isn’t just a catalyst for the plot: its release from the cage by Vera’s hand – whether because of a distraction or her intention, is a choice Tănase leaves to us in a mise-en-scene that isn’t always explicit – is a clear manifestation of the woman’s desire to absolve herself of guilt regarding her son’s death. Her quest to locate and rescue the animal symbolisesa new opportunity to save an innocent life.

Cătălina Moga dominates the screen throughout, portraying a resilient woman who is both feminine and wild. She grapples with the society around her, and the psychological nuances discernible from the actress’s subtlest gestures are left for the keen audience to interpret.

“Tigru” is a film centred on freedom: freedom from the cage, from societal constraints, and from the haunting ghosts of the past. In the final scene, as Vera walks along the road towards the horizon, she leaves her past behind, embracing acceptance, and strides confidently into the future.