Synopsis
Adi (40), a young anthropologist, recently left by his girlfriend, moves to Ferentari (a kind of ghetto in the heart of Bucharest), with the desire of writing a study on manele music (the pop music of Roma community).
In Ferentari, a place frozen in the 90s anarchy, where the trick is law and Gipsy music is heard everywhere, Adi wakes up in a world of contrasts, with cunning and homeless people, with wise guys and drugged - in short, in a gated community, where the suckers like him have no chance.
In the local pub, Adi gets to know Alberto, an ex-convict with the build of a bodyguard, who can facilitate (or so Adi believes) his access to the world of manele – a world in which Adi has always felt like an outsider. Alberto (35) lives in the house of a rich relative, Borcan (50), where he is treated like a servant – he cleans the house and sleeps with the dogs. Alberto’s dream is to escape from under the custody of his relative, but he has no papers and no chance of getting a job with his prison record. Even though he is famous for being tough man, Alberto knows how to show his sensitive side and use his charm when he has an interest. While he was in prison, Alberto realized he likes guys as well, because jail safest currency exchange for protection is sex, homosexuality being taboo in a neighborhood as Ferentari.
In their relationship, each has his own weapons of seduction with which tries to dominate the other – Alberto has his tender words and gestures, while Adi pretends to be a more influential person than he is in reality, overwhelming Alberto with gifts, and promising that he will help him get his papers and an honorable job.
Adi decides not to trust in Alberto’s charms and to continue to pay him something after each meeting, so that he can protect his private space and not create any obligations. However, Adi is unable to stick to these rules and money vanished quickly.