Alina had been working in Germany, and the two girls were previously roommates at a children's home and had shared a physical relationship.

There, doctors restrain Alina to prevent her self-harm, after which they send her back to the convent to assist with recovery.

The Priest admits the icon exists, but says entering the altar is a severe sin, and tells the nuns the Devil is in Alina and the convent.

There, the hospital staff find Alina is dead on arrival, and observe the wounds on her wrists and ankles from the restraints.

Mungiu was inspired to make the film after seeing the stage version in New York while promoting 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.

[6] It was selected as the Romanian entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards,[7] making the January shortlist.

[9] Dan Fainaru of Screen Daily wrote from Cannes: "Spare, unadorned and strikingly shot, Cristian Mungiu's film is an unusual rendering of a Romanian exorcism case and is bound to split both audience and critical opinions, some considering it a major achievement and others blaming it for overlong pretentious sensationalism.