The Romania within 

“Left the country, but never Romania”. That is the subtitle of a new documentary exploring what happens to our identity when we pack up and move abroad.  

Ana-Maria Cononovici, 13.10.2026, 14:00

Do we change? Do we adapt? Do we forge entirely new lives? These were the driving questions behind The Romania Within, a project that culminated in a documentary of the same name, which celebrated its international premiere in late September at the University of East London’s Royal Docks campus.

Octav Dafinoiu is one of the driving forces behind the project, serving as its initiator and co-coordinator. Speaking to Radio Romania International, he explained:

“It all started with two fundamental questions: ‘What makes Romanians who they are?’ and ‘What makes so many foreigners fall in love with Romania?’ My background in psychology led me to believe there is a distinct Romanian identity code that has been far too little researched. We approached this methodologically. First, we built an eight-dimensional model of our identity, drawing on theories from globally renowned researchers and recent international studies on migration and identity. Next came the fieldwork: over 100 Romanians living abroad completed our questionnaire. One of the key takeaways was what keeps the diaspora resilient: faith and generational ties. While homesickness and the hardships of migration are universal, our inner resources dictate how we cope. Based on these findings, we shaped both the documentary (from casting our protagonists to crafting our interview questions) and our digital platform, www.romaniadininterior.ro, a living archive where every Romanian can share their story.”

Iulian Costin wore multiple hats for the production, handling direction, screenwriting, design, branding and conducting several key interviews. For him, the process opened a window into the immense emotional and material baggage we carry when leaving home. What exactly do we pack when we emigrate? Iulian Costin elaborates:

“We take things that can never fit into a suitcase: memories, habits, our mother tongue and a deep longing for those we left behind. That is the premise of The Romania Within, which premiered on September 25 in partnership with the University of East London, an institution with a proud history. Why this university? Because back in 1898, it pioneered open access to education for the working class and marginalized groups. That ethos of inclusivity makes this partnership deeply meaningful to us. In the film, we explored two main pillars: first, the Romania we carry inside us; and second, the Romania we build within our adopted foreign communities, essentially, what we preserve and what we share. To give you a glimpse from the set: one of our main protagonists, known affectionately as Buni Flori, has an extraordinary story. She left Romania for Italy and later the UK, to support her family. She tells us how she brought Romanian rose cuttings and leuştean (lovage) across borders to cultivate a traditional Romanian garden right in the heart of Britain. Over time, Buni became the surrogate grandmother of the Gravesend community, highly sought after by other local families. She even recounts attending English classes where, surrounded by classmates from diverse cultural backgrounds, she would share sarmale and cozonac. Through simple acts of care and familiar tastes, Buni shares her homeland. Every protagonist carries Romania forward in their own unique way.”

Whether it is a boxer stepping into the ring draped in the tricolour flag, or a doctor raising children who insist on speaking Romanian at home, these vignettes highlight how the spirit of Romania survives stubbornly within the diaspora.

Roxana Petrescu, the documentary’s creative director, views the project as a vital bridge for a two-way dialogue between those who left and those who stayed behind:

“For me, The Romania Within has a very clear stake: transforming how we perceive and portray the Romanian diaspora today. We so often talk about the diaspora in cold numbers. We wanted to look beyond the statistics and ask what happens to our identity when we live far from home and immerse ourselves in foreign cultures. Behind the word ‘diaspora’ are human beings who left for different reasons, built lives abroad, but continue to carry a profound piece of Romania with them. And that identity isn’t static; it enriches itself, transforms and takes on new meanings through our lived experiences. This is where the power of storytelling comes in. A well-crafted narrative can achieve what statistics never can: it brings us closer to another person’s reality, builds empathy and helps us understand lives we haven’t lived ourselves. Ultimately, one of the core messages of this project is that Romania is not merely a geographic location we exit. There is a Romania we carry within, embedded in our language, memories, values, traditions and our unique lens on the world. We are eager to bring this documentary back home to screen across Romania, letting these powerful diaspora stories resonate with audiences there”.

The project is backed by the Department for Romanians Abroad, with the creative team already looking ahead to future documentary projects in the same vein. (VP)