Maria is 80. She has lived through many phases of Romanian history, including communism, which has invariably left traces in her apartment. She has managed to flee to the US for a bit, and to this day she remembers vividly how well things seemed to work there, compared to Romania. Like the majority of the country, religion is and always has been a major part of her life. She lives alone, as her husband had died years ago. She speaks dearly of him and of their happy youth.

Her only regret is that she has no children.