Set in the small Romanian town of Gura Humorului, the story follows Vasile and Violeta Popa as they are preparing for the wedding of their only son, Decebal, who emigrated to New York eight years earlier. But the parents will attend the wedding ceremony virtually, streamed live in the middle of the night directly into Decebal's childhood bedroom. As a small group of family and friends gathers around the computer screen, the story explores the intimate human cost of post-communist Romania's mass migration during the late 1990s.

Matei Lucaci-Grunberg and Romanian-born London-based Eduard Buhac penned the script, and the cast includes Eduard Buhac (as Decebal), Alexandru Papadopol and Elvira Deatcu (as the parents), alongside Fabien Frankel, Jack Bandeira, Jo Price, Leslie Molony, and Sienna Monet.

“The story touches on themes that speak directly to generations of today: families separated by migration, nostalgia for the 2000s, cultural differencies, longing, roots, and identity - a reality lived by over 19 million Romanians living abroad. The film will be a tender comedy full of emotion, rhythm and social relevance, presented in a contemporary way,” producer Gabriela Suciu told FNE.

Gabriela Suciu of Romania’s Atelier de Film is producing with support from the Romanian Film Centre (CNC). The budget is 867,000 EUR.

The shoot started with two days in 2025 with the international cast in Ciolpani (Romania), and will continue with the rest of the 20 shooting days in 2027 at Frame Film studios in Popești-Leordeni, near Bucharest.

Decebal’s Wedding is expected to be finished in 2028. No sales agent or local distributor is attached yet.

Written by Matei Lucaci-Grunberg and Eduard Buhac, the stage play Decebal’s Wedding premiered in September 2025 starring Eduard Buhac, Alexandru Papadopol and Elvira Deatcu, and it is still running sold out in Bucharest.

Production Information:

Producer:
Atelier de Film (Romania)
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Credits:
Director: Matei Lucaci-Grunberg
Scriptwriters: Matei Lucaci-Grunberg, Eduard Buhac
DoP: Mihai Ionescu
Production designer: Iuliana Vîlsan
Costume designer: Iuliana Vîlsan
Cast: Eduard Buhac, Fabien Frankel, Jack Bandeira, Jo Price, Leslie Molony, Sienna Monet, Alexandru Papadopol, Elvira Deatcu