Work in progress. Market screening at AFM, November 13
Grounded
Între granițe
In the first days of the war in Ukraine, a surrogacy arrangement ties an Italian, a Romanian, and a Ukrainian woman together at the border.
Written and directed by Ligia Ciornei
Starring Claudia Gerini and Bogdan Farcaș
- Format
- Feature film
- Genre
- Social drama, docu-fiction, thriller
- Country
- Romania, Ukraine
- Language
- Romanian, Ukrainian, Italian, English
- Also known as
- Between Borders
- Status
- Post-production
Synopsis
The first days of the war in Ukraine. Francesca, played by Claudia Gerini, has arranged for a surrogate mother in Ukraine to carry her baby. She is due to collect the baby when the fighting begins.
Three women meet at the Romanian border, one Italian, one Romanian, and one Ukrainian, and a deal struck in desperation binds them. Slowly, the arrangement becomes a bond between them.
Ligia Ciornei wrote and directed the film, which brings Romanian, Ukrainian, and Italian points of view on the war into one story.
- Public funding
- Awarded a production grant by the Romanian Film Center (CNC) in October 2024, under the Romanian title Între granițe.
- The director
- Ligia Ciornei’s next feature after her debut, Clouds of Chernobyl (2022). Variety named her one of seven rising Romanian talents in June 2026.
- Close to home
- Ciornei was born in Suceava and grew up in Bukovina, close to the Ukrainian border. The region inspires her films.
Screenings
All screenings- American Film MarketWork in progressAMC Century City 15, screen 11, Los Angeles
For AFM badge holders - Festival of Thinking New YorkWork in progressVenue to be announced, New York
By registration or invitation
Press
“Following her directorial debut, ‘Clouds of Chernobyl,’ which screened at Transilvania in 2022, Ciornei is now returning with ‘Grounded,’ a drama set at the outbreak of war in Ukraine.”
Christopher Vourlias, Variety Read in Variety
“I also made a Romanian film, a beautiful one, by Ligia Ciornei.”
Claudia Gerini, Quotidiano.net (translated from Italian) Read in Quotidiano.net (Italian)
Credits
produced by Augmented Films, Noetic Ark, Sarke Studio, Filmlab in co-production with Chainsaw Europe starring Claudia Gerini, Bogdan Farcaș, Dorian Boguță, Isabela Neamțu original music and sound design Alin Zăbrăuțeanu production design Mihnea Mihăilescu director of photography Viorel Sergovici producers Viorel Chesaru, Ligia Ciornei, Larysa Gutarevych written and directed by Ligia Ciornei
Screeners
Distributors and festival programmers can request a screener of the work in progress from Noetic Ark.
Production notes and stills: Augmented Films
