Midway through her prison sentence, rebellious and self-destructing Matilda is granted a 24-hour temporary release to attend her mother's funeral. Not willing to return to jail, she plans to escape and flee the country. But before the day is over, Matilda must first confront her troubled past. She visits her family, but her estranged brother is reluctant to offer any help, and his wife would rather throw her out. But Matilda won't give up… Adapted from a story written by Palme d'Or winner Cristian Mungiu and his associate Ioana Uricaru, the film presents a portrait of a woman who is her own worst enemy.

Born in 1976 in Romania. He is a Romanian filmmaker based in New York. He also works as a producer, writer, cinematographer, and editor. He graduated from Columbia University in film directing and cinematography. In 2006, he directed and produced his first short 'A Very Small Trilogy of Loneliness', followed by 'Last Day of December' (2008). These two films were selected by many festivals and garnered several awards. 'Periferic' (2010) is his first feature film.