Marian Crișan: ‘Holy Light’ Film on Orthodox Ceremony
Get the inside scoop on Marian CrișanS new movie, “Holy Light,” a film delving into faith and family, inspired by the Orthodox Holy Fire ceremony.Set to begin filming in Romania this August, the story follows a father and son’s journey in a Romanian mountain village, exploring spiritual themes and a coming-of-age narrative framed within 12 hours. Andrei Voicu takes on the lead role. The film explores the essence of light and its potential for miracles. news directory 3 brings you exclusive updates as Crișan aims for a Cannes Film Festival premiere. Explore the movie’s spiritual journey and anticipate its release. Discover what’s next …
Marian Crișan to Explore Faith and Family in ‘Holy Light’
Updated June 20, 2025
Marian Crișan, the Romanian director known for his Palme d’Or-winning short film “Megatron,” as well as “Morgen” and the HBO series ”Silent Valley,” is set to begin filming his next project, “Holy Light,” in Romania this August. The film is a co-production between Rova Film (Romania), Choice Cinema (Moldova), and Nukleon Frame (Slovakia).
Crișan, speaking at the transilvania Film Festival, saeid the drama draws inspiration from the Orthodox Holy Fire ceremony. This annual ritual,held at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem before easter,involves the lighting of a fire said to appear miraculously. The holy light is than distributed to Orthodox countries, including Romania.
The film follows a father and son in a small Romanian mountain village as they retrieve the holy light from the airport for their church. “The film is set in the modern day and follows a child and his father in a small village in the Romanian mountains as they go down to the airport to get this light for the church in their village. It’s a spiritual journey and a coming-of-age tale but really condensed, told in this space of 12 hours from the morning till midnight,” Crișan said.
Crișan emphasizes the film’s exploration of faith and meaning. The boy becomes separated from his father and must journey up the mountain alone. “As he walks up, he faces questions about the meaning of life, and the idea of the holy light itself: What is it? Is it really sacred? Can it perform miracles? In the mind of this innocent boy, he wonders if resurrection is real and if light can give life back,” Crișan said.
after auditioning more than 200 children, Andrei Voicu was cast in the main role. Marius Cordoş and Ofelia Popii also join the cast.
Crișan noted that co-producing with moldova and Slovakia makes sense financially, given the similar budget scales. He hopes to complete post-production in time for consideration at the Cannes Film Festival.
What’s next
Production for “Holy Light” is slated to begin in August, with Crișan aiming for a Cannes Film Festival premiere.