Home - Box of Freedom

A film by Adelina Suvagau

synopsis

Box of Freedom is the story of Dora Petrescu a Romanian comedienne whose biting, honest, no-holds-barred routines about life in 1990 post-Ceausescu Romania have earned her unwanted notoriety. She’s reluctantly supported her underground lifestyle by working as a high-class escort. Her intimate knowledge of the former communists still running the country following the dictator’s demise make her dangerous. Beaten and threatened, Dora runs for her life. She decides to lock herself in a cargo ship’s container bound for Canada. Her claustrophobic journey along with two strangers becomes a surreal meditation and her comedy becomes a survival mechanism she uses as she struggles to come to terms with her values and especially her feelings about the four-year-old son she has just left behind.

An emotionally overwhelming voyage; a quest for personal freedom that will inspire and impress the audience to appreciate the value of liberty and human rights.

Innovative and surreal, Box of Freedom takes us on a journey of discovery that only desperate refugees attempt.

"What good is freedom of speech, if we don't have anything to say?" Substance over glamour. Weighty and substantial. Food for thought.

Logline

Box of Freedom is the story of Dora, a Romanian stand-up comedienne, whose hopes at speaking her mind in a freed country vanish when former communist leaders threaten her life. She decides to flee in a cargo ship’s container bound for Canada. Using humor to survive her harsh reality, Dora writes and performs new comedic material to the other two passengers in the container.

Director’s Vision

Box of Freedom is a dramedy and adventure story of survival inspired by a true story.
In this film, the claustrophobia of the container is broken up through fantasy sequences. Some of the scenes take place in a stand up comedy club as a reflection of Dora’s past life events.
The stage symbolizes Dora’s performance with herself and the world. As Dora is forced to deal with her own repressed memories and feelings, her story plays out on stage in a theatrical way.

Cinematographers’ experience

“Box of Freedom was an exciting challenge to be a part of. The script had great strength, and combined with Adelina Suvagau’s strong vision we were able to craft an engaging story of persecution, perseverance and the pursuit of freedom. Working with such a small budget forced us to think “outside the box” more often than not, which ultimately lead to a uniquely crafted film that oozes passion.”
– Cinematographers Marco Bossow and Andy Brown