Francesca is a kindergarten teacher in Bucharest, living with her mother. Desperate to better herself by moving to Italy, she accepts a dodgy job offer from a broker: For 2,000 Euro he can set her up as a nurse near Milan. She also makes plans to reunite with her estranged boyfriend Mita once she’s settled. But things hit a snag when Mita’s own shady business ventures force Francesca to sacrifice her dreams for him. [Francesca] became the center of a controversy at Venice in 2009 when several prominent right-wing Italian politicians publicly denounced the film’s portrayals of them. With almost one million Romanians resident in Italy, [Francesca] has become a lightening rod in the immigration debate. Director Bobby Paunescu grew up in Italy, and has made an immigrant experience film that is universal.