The eastward expansion of the EU is coming up soon. Slovenia is Applicant Number One. The two million inhabitants of the little shooting-star Slovenia could become a net-payer to the European Union immediately after joining in 2004. On the other hand, the large country Romania, with ten times more inhabitants, is the tail-ender of the applicant states. It will take decades before Romania reaches even half of the income today’s EU members have. Romania has to wait at least seven years for their full EU-membership.

The film shows these two extremely different countries in a parallel way, but without comparing them by stereotypical patterns. Starting points in both cases: a city, a steel-plant, a family. We see the protagonists in their everyday lives and learn their hopes and fears concerning the joining of the European Union.

Director: Andrea Ufer
Cinematographer: Ralf Ilgenfritz
Editor: Ralf Ilgenfritz
Production manager: Sabina Engel
Channel: MDR/arte