Beyond the Hills 2013

Two young women from Romania, Voichița and Alina, find themselves at a Romanian Orthodox convent during the season of Lent. As they reminisce, Voichița reveals to Alina that a sacred icon in the altar is known to grant wishes. The two share a complicated history; they were once roommates at a children’s home and had a physical relationship while Alina worked in Germany. At the convent, they encounter a 30-year-old Priest who harshly critiques the diminishing faith in Western Europe, pointing to issues like same-sex marriage, and he strictly forbids non-believers from entering the monastery.

Concerned about Alina’s spirituality, the Priest questions Voichița about her friend’s church attendance and urges Alina to confess. Despite Alina’s desire to reconnect intimately with Voichița, the latter advises caution, reminding her that it is Lent.

After some time, when Alina leaves the convent, Voichița fetches her back, only to reveal that she has taken vows to become a nun. Voichița declares that her love for Alina has transformed; her commitment to God now defines her existence. However, Alina yearns for escape and pleads with Voichița to leave with her. When Voichița declines, Alina, in distress, attempts to jump down a well, a move that leads to her being restrained by the nuns and subsequently taken to the hospital. Here, she is also bound to prevent harm, and the nuns read her passages about sin as part of her recovery.

Alina decides to undergo a strict Black Fast, but when she tries to approach the altar to make a wish to the icon, the Priest confronts her. He acknowledges the icon’s power but warns her that entering the altar is a grave sin, claiming that Alina is influenced by the Devil within the convent.

As Alina’s mental and physical state deteriorates, the nuns take her back to the hospital, where she is pronounced dead upon arrival. Medical staff discover the marks left from her restraints and assert that this could be classified as homicide. Fearing the implications, the nuns learn that law enforcement will investigate the convent. An officer examines the scene and interprets the board used for restraint as reminiscent of a cross, stating that this form of restraint leading to death constitutes homicide. Despite the Priest’s claims of no malicious intent—drawing a parallel to a parent’s right to enforce medical treatment—the officer counters that Alina neither was a child nor did the Priest hold guardianship over her.

In a twist of fate, the nuns cite Alina’s formidable strength, while Voichița alleges that Alina practiced martial arts. Ultimately, the police take the Priest and the nuns implicated in Alina’s restraints into custody, and Voichița makes the painful choice to join them. This story unfolds a gripping narrative about love, faith, and the haunting consequences of belief.