Mihai Mincan Talks ‘Milk Teeth’ Coming-of-Age Mystery to Debut at ECAM Forum

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At ECAM Forum’s second collaboration market, taking place from June 10-13 in Madrid, the Romanian coming-of-age mystery/fantasy film “Milk Teeth” is one of the most anticipated projects. This work brings filmmaker Mihai Mincan together with many members of his team from his critically acclaimed debut “To the North,” which premiered at Venice Orizzonti 2022. The team includes Oscar-winning sound designer Nicolas Becker (“Sound of Metal”), cinematographer George Chiper-Lillemark (“Immaculate”), and editor Dragos Apetri (“Animal”).

In addition, there are four collaborators from “To the North”‘s production team on board: deFilm (Romania), Remora Films (France), StudioBauhaus (Greece), Screening Emotions (Bulgaria), and Monica Hellström (Denmark), who was nominated for an Oscar with Ström Films.

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Four partners from the “To the North” production team are also part of this project: deFilm (Romania), Remora Films (France), StudioBauhaus (Greece), Screening Emotions (Bulgaria), and Monica Hellström (Denmark) who was Oscar-nominated through Ström Films.

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Four production partners of “To the North” are also involved: deFilm (Romania), Remora Films (France), StudioBauhaus (Greece), Screening Emotions (Bulgaria), and Monica Hellström (Denmark) who was nominated for an Oscar with Ström Films.

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Four partners from the production of “To the North” are included: deFilm (Romania), Remora Films (France), StudioBauhaus (Greece), Screening Emotions (Bulgaria), and Monica Hellström (Denmark) who was Oscar-nominated through Ström Films.

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In this tale, written by Mincan, real-life incidents sparked its creation. These events offer a basis for the director to delve into the painful recollections of Romania’s post-communist period, where aspirations for a brighter future following the Romanian Revolution in December 1989 were replaced with disenchantment. The narrative takes place during the final moments of Ceausescu’s rule in Romania. The main character, a 10-year-old girl named Maria, unwittingly witnesses her sister’s enigmatic disappearance and must find the strength to mature amidst a crumbling society.

The concept for the picture originated approximately seven years ago when he came across the heart-wrenching story of a girl kidnapped in Romania back in 1989, as Mincan explained. What captivated him was a brief mention in police records about the sister of the abducted child, referred to as “the mute.” This phrase struck a chord with the director, reminding him of growing up in a society where people felt metaphorically silenced or without personal agency. “We simply followed orders because we believed there was no other viable future for our nation and ourselves Romanians,” said the director, who was around Maria’s age in 1989.

Iona Lascar from deFilm, along with Radu Stancu, stated that ‘Milk Teeth’ is a profound metaphor for Romania’s shift from the communist era to the anticipated new society following the collapse of communism in 1989. The film symbolically depicts the apprehension and fear felt during this time by using darkness and emptiness as visual motifs.

Mincan mentioned that the picture will draw inspiration from two distinct genres of coming-of-age dramas: one, the socially grounded style akin to Ken Loach’s “Kes”, Lynne Ramsay’s “Ratcatcher”, or Sean Baker’s “The Florida Project”. The other, a blend of reality and fantasy as seen in Carlos Saura’s “Cria Cuervos”. In simpler terms, the film will have an anti-nostalgic feel, combining gritty social realism with surreal elements.

Upon watching ‘Cria Cuervos,’ the director openly admitted it sparked an intense obsession within them. They found themselves captivated by Saura’s portrayal of childhood, describing it as a time of bewilderment where one lacks personal agency. This inspired them to create an anti-nostalgic film, where a young girl grapples with understanding the world following her sister’s disappearance. The narrative, as a result, becomes less straightforward and moves towards a hazy, ambiguous realm.

To express Maria’s sense of bewilderment, Mincan mentioned that George Chiper-Lillemark’s camera work is predominantly unrefined and handheld, while the sound design by Nicolas Becker will provide a balance between distant noises from outside the character’s world and an eerie feeling of emptiness and silence. The director reminisced, “Romania in 1989 was similar – it was very quiet. There were scarcely any cars, a 10 p.m. curfew which meant people spent much time indoors, with power outages and TV programming limited to just a couple of hours daily.

In the lead role as Maria is the fresh talent Emma Mogos, paired with seasoned actors Marina Palii (“Manor House”) and Igor Babiac, portraying Maria’s mother and father respectively. Director Mincan stated that he sought actors who resembled his parents at the time in terms of appearance.

The €2.3 million ($2.6 million) production, granted the 2023 Torino Film Lab Production Award, was supported by the national film centers of the five co-production countries, along with Arte Kino, ERT in Greece, TVR, Avanpost Media and Radio Romania.

Lascar expressed her excitement about joining ECAM Forum’s ‘Last Push’ section featuring “Milk Teeth.” She noted that this is her inaugural experience presenting a work-in-progress project in Spain. She’s eager to engage with local producers and foster potential collaborations.

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Lascar announced her delight at being part of ECAM Forum’s ‘Last Push’ segment, showcasing “Milk Teeth.” This is her first time presenting a work-in-progress project in Spain. She can’t wait to connect with local producers and establish exciting collaborations.

More recently, deFilm’s Lascar and Stancu have been discussing sales and distribution for the film “I Only Rest in the Storm,” directed by Pedro Pinho, which is set to debut later this year. They are serving as minority co-producers on this Cannes Un Certain Regard entry.

At the upcoming ECAM Forum, a grand total of eight Spanish and foreign films that are currently being finalized (post-production) will be presented. Additionally, fifteen feature films under development, eleven short films, and thirteen television series also in the development stage will be featured there.

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2025-06-02 14:17