Ink Wash

A mural painter by profession, Lena (played by Ilinca Hărnuț, also the film’s co-writer) is turning 40 and faced with all the classic questions that come with being a woman of a certain age. Reeling from the dissolution of a long-term relationship (and an ex-partner who has moved on in the blink of an eye), Lena is particularly vulnerable. Disillusioned and heartbroken, Lena leaves Bucharest for a job at a dilapidated brutalist hotel, under new ownership, in south-western Romania. But, to paraphrase Confucius, wherever you go, there you are.

Taking refuge in her work, Lena is surrounded by forests and nature. Initially fearing her feelings, and what’s to come, she leans in and begins to see a new approach to being in this world where — regardless of what is said — no one truly knows what they’re doing. But a dark night of the soul, like everything else in life, can be received as a gift. Plus, if your eyes are open, there are new adventures and people to discover around every bend.

Ink Wash is the debut of co-writer and director Sarra Tsorakidis. With the tender scope of director of photography Radu Voinea’s lens and Hărnuț’s subtle yet captivating performance, Tsorakidis lays bare a character who discovers her inner strength and moral values in a country overwhelmed by corruption and, in doing so, paves an uncharted path for people who understand that the only way out of the woods is to go through.

DOROTA LECH