Nameless Star

The setting is a provincial town in Romania, some time in the 1930s. It is a small, quiet town where all the residents know each other and the passing of the diesel-electric "Bucharest-Sinai" express train is considered a major event. The express train never stops: it passes through town once during the day on the way to Sinai, and once during the night on the way back to Bucharest.

The residents of the town regularly congregate at the train station to watch the express pass, wave to it, and comment on the faraway lives of the passengers. The only two residents who do not participate in this train-spotting activity are school teachers Marin Miroiu and Mlle. Cucu: Miroiu is so engaged with his astronomical research that he abstains from most of the town's communal activities, whereas Mlle. Cucu actively detests the train as a distraction for the town's schoolchildren.

One day, Mr. Pascu, the owner of the town's department store, returns from Bucharest with various specialty orders for the residents. One of the orders is a rare book for Miroiu, which Pascu confides to the head of the train station, Mr. Ispas, is worth 22,000 lei. Another of the orders is clothing for Ispas himself. When Pascu delivers the order to Miroiu, it turns out that he confused the packages, delivering Ispas's clothing to Miroiu, and Miroiu's book to Ispas.

Miroiu rushes to the train station, where Ispas is still present, as he cannot leave until the "Bucharest-Sinai" express passes. They exchange packages, and Miroiu begins leafing through his new book. The "Bucharest-Sinai" express arrives, but to Ispas' surprise, it slows down and stops at the station. The conductor calls Ispas on-board to assist him in dealing with a stowaway. The stowaway is a young woman in an expensive dress who has no ticket, no documents, and no money. All she has are chips from the casino in Sinai. Ispas and the conductor manage to trick the woman (Mona) off of the train and into the station, and the train departs.

Miroiu sees Mona and is immediately stricken. Mona is non-cooperative with Ispas, who attempts to fill-out paperwork recording that she was caught as a stowaway. Miroiu offers to house Mona for the night, himself staying at a friend's house, to which Mona reluctantly agrees. Ispas is supportive of the idea, as he wants Mona gone before his wife arrives and misunderstands the situation. Mona and Miroiu leave the station. Mrs. Ispas arrives, and forces her husband to explain what happened after smelling Mona's perfume in the station office.

Mona and Miriou arrive at Miroiu's home. Mona is unimpressed by the provincial nature of the town and the meager nature of Miroiu's home. Meanwhile, Mrs. Ispas runs into Mlle. Cucu at the theater and tells her about the events at the train station. Cucu is affected by the news, and the audience is led to infer that she is in love with Miroiu. Cucu finds Mr. Udrea, the town music teacher and Miroiu's neighbour. She convinces him to escort her to Miroiu's home, without revealing that it's because she wants to see the mystery woman.

When Cucu and Udrea arrive at Miroiu's house, Miroiu has Mona hide in the bathroom. Cucu interrogates Miroiu. When asked why she is doing this, she is unable reveal her true feelings. Instead, she says that it's because she has heard about Miroiu's 22,000 lei book and wants to know where he got the money to make such a purchase. During the interrogation, Cucu finds Mona's gloves and rushes away, upset. Udrea follows Cucu to escort her home, but not before Miroiu asks him to return afterwards.

Mona overheard the interrogation from the bathroom, and asks Miroiu to show her the book. He accepts, because she's in town for only one night. The book is a 17th century astronomical treatise, which Miroiu was able to afford by living an intensely frugal lifestyle. Miroiu purchased the book because he believes that he has discovered a previously unknown star, and this book contains the only remaining star chart which he has not checked to verify that this is an original discovery. Mona asks to see the star, but Miroiu explains that it's not visible: he discovered it through mathematical reasoning. Sensing that Mona doubts him, Miroiu attempts to show her where the star is in the sky from his balcony, but his aggressive explanation frightens her and she retreats back inside the house.

Udrea returns and Miroiu properly introduces him. Udrea is the town music teacher and a hobbyist composer who has written a symphony. He wants to perform the symphony in town, but it requires an English horn which the town does not have. He started a petition to purchase one for 4,500 lei, but the only person who has sponsored it is Miroiu. Mona is intrigued, and Udrea performs a short version of his symphony using his voice.

Miroiu and Udrea attempt to depart to Udrea's house for the night, but Mona requests that Miroiu stay. Mona asks Miroiu to show her his star again. This time, she is awed by his knowledge of astronomy and the beauty of the stars. Mona asks what name Miroiu has chosen for his new star, but he has not chosen one yet. They kiss on the balcony and spend the night together.

The next morning, Mona tells Miroiu that she intends to stay with him. Miroiu departs to purchase a new dress for her. While he is away, a man named Grig arrives at his house and the details of Mona's life are filled in. Mona has been Grig's lover for three years, though she is more like his pet. The previous night, they were at the casino in Sinai playing roulette. Grig blamed his poor luck on Mona, and sent her back to their hotel room. Instead, Mona attempted to run away. Grig tracked her down to Miroiu's house and has arrived to take her home.

Miroiu returns from the store with a dress. Grig falsely introduces himself as Mona's brother. Miroiu asks Grig for Mona's hand in marriage. Grig doesn't accept or reject the request, but instead uses it to find out more about Miroiu. Grig sends Miroiu away to exchange the dress, telling him that Mona doesn't like it but is too polite to say so. After Miroiu leaves, Grig insults Miroiu, the town, and the townspeople, while Mona defends them. Mlle. Cucu arrives, and Grig concentrates his ire on her, using her as a symbol of what Mona will become if she stays. Mona asks Cucu for advice, and Cucu advises her to leave with Grig. Mona tells Grig that she doesn't have the strength to resist him. In a last, desperate attempt, Mona asks Grig to let her go. Grig refuses.

Mr. Udrea arrives to congratulate Mona and Miroiu on their engagement: news has already spread to the whole town. Mona agrees to go with Grig if he pays for Udrea's English horn. As Miroiu returns, Grig and Udrea go outside to discuss the horn. Mona tells Miroiu that she needs to leave, but that she'll return. Miroiu presses her about when she'll return, and her evasive answers make it clear to him that she won't. Mona suggests that he name his star after her, because just like his star, he won't see her, but he'll know that she exists.

Mona leaves Miroiu's house. Shortly afterwards, Udrea enters to tell Miroiu that Grig gave him 5,000 lei to buy an English horn, and then left with Mona. He tells Miroiu that he doesn't think Mona will be back. Miroiu replies that he suspected something like this would happen, explaining by quoting an astronomical law that he previously said to Mona: "No star may deviate from its path".

• Igor Kostolevsky - Marin Miroiu
• Anastasiya Vertinskaya - Mona
• Mikhail Kozakov - Grig / Narrator
• Svetlana Kryuchkova - Mlle. Cucu
• Grigory Lyampe - Mr. Udrea
• Ilya Rutberg - Mr. Pascu, the owner of the department store
• Mikhail Svetin - Mr. Ispas
• Alla Budnitskaya - Mrs. Ispas, the wife of the station's chief (voiced by another actress)
• Irina Savina - Eleonora Zamfirescu, a local schoolgirl
• Alexander Pyatkov - Joaquim, assistant to the head of the station (voiced by Rogvold Sukhoverko)
• Evgeny Tilicheev - Conductor

Nameless Star at IMDb