It tells the story of two students, roommates in a university dormitory, who try to procure an illegal abortion. Inspired by an anecdote from the period and the general social historic context, it depicts the loyalty of the two friends and the struggles they face. Mungiu and cinematographer Oleg Mutu shot it in Bucharest and other Romanian locations in It opened to critical acclaim, and was noted for its minimalism and intense themes.
Bebe in a hotel, where he is to perform an illegal abortion. Afterwards, Otilia takes a bus to visit her boyfriend Adi, from whom she borrows money. Adi asks Otilia to visit his family that night, as it is his mother's birthday.
Otilia initially declines but relents after Adi becomes upset. Otilia visits another hotel, the Tineretului, and after much begging and haggling, is able to book a room at an expensive rate. This changes the procedure and also adds the risk of a murder charge. While the two women were certain that they would pay no more than 3, lei for the abortion, it slowly becomes clear that Bebe expects both women to have sex with him.
She is still disturbed but stays and has dinner with Adi's mother's friends, who are mostly doctors. They converse about trivial matters while Otilia and Adi remain silent. After Otilia accepts a cigarette in front of Adi's parents, one of the guests starts talking about lost values and respect for elders. They begin debating what would happen if it were Otilia who was pregnant, as Adi is opposed to abortion.
Otilia walks outside, finally climbing to the top of a building, as Mr. Bebe had suggested, and drops the bag in a trash chute. During the years of Decree , the only available abortion methods, all illegal, could prove fatal to women, causing thousands of deaths.
