In his drama, which won the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival, Romanian director Emanuel Parvu tells the story “Three kilometers to the end of the world“ about an attack and the subsequent forced outing that leads to abrupt changes in the once loving family of 17-year-old Adi. After the involuntary revelation, his relationship with his parents suffered an immediate crack, which quickly developed into a profound break. Parvu seems to be more interested in exposing the reactionary structures of the village island community, especially in relation to homophobia and corruption, than in an intimate family portrait. However, he neglects the emotional center of the film.
During the summer holidays, 17-year-old Adi (Ciprian Chiujdea) returns to his home village on an island in the Romanian part of the Danube Delta. When he was brutally beaten on his way back from a club one evening, he began a never-ending ordeal. In particular, his father (Bogdan Dumitrache), who remains nameless, insists on reporting the crime to the police station because he believes that the village mogul is using this act to put pressure on the family's debts. But when the parents are confronted with the fact that it was apparently a homophobic attack, they do everything in their power to prevent word from getting around in the village. They are also looking for ways to “cure” their son. In this situation, Adi only seems to be able to rely on his girlfriend Ilinca (Ingrid Micu Berescu)…
After the attack, Adi (Ciprian Chiujdea) initially had the full support of his parents – but only until they found out about his homosexuality.
With his minimalist and naturalistic narrative style, Emanuel Parvu follows in the tradition of Romanian filmmakers such as Cristian Mungiu (“RMN”), in whose film “Graduation” he appeared in a supporting role. In his coming-of-age drama, he confronts a teenager with sudden rejection by family, church and state power. What turns Adi from one moment to the next from the victim of a perfidious crime to a person “unworthy of protection” in this ultra-conservative community is solely his homosexuality. Parvu not only denounces the widespread homophobia in Romania, but also sheds light on state corruption and the devastating religious errors that fuel this negative attitude.
In long, intense dialogue scenes, the director lets the cold, bureaucratic language of the police and church authorities affect the audience. Their evasive answers and their reactionary worldviews fuel the parents' frightening rejection of their previously loved and valued son. The film's central strength lies in its unsparing depiction of an unshakable system of corruption as well as the lack of tolerance and humanity of the church and the village community.
In the tradition of some of the greats
However, compared to the outstanding works of the New Romanian Wave, such as those by Cristian Mungiu, Corneliu Porumboiu (“Police, Adjective”) or Cristi Puiu (“The Death of Mr. Lazarescu”), “Three Kilometers to the End of the World” is lacking both in formal precision and narrative depth. Although the central themes of Romanian cinema are addressed here – from corruption to exclusion to (false) morality – the martyrdom of the silent protagonist only develops a limited emotional impact. There isn't enough focus on the family falling apart. In addition, many (supporting) characters remain too wooden and clichéd to give the straightforward and predictable plot that certain something.
Watching Adi's mother consider even the most absurd religious and medical options to supposedly save her only child is still horrifying. Laura Vasiliu offers the strongest acting performance alongside Adrian Titieni as the eloquent and ultra-conservative priest. The “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” star makes her mother figure's pain and desperation palpable, even if her actions are difficult to understand. Lead actor Ciprian Chiujdea, however, remains pale. His consistently silent Adi develops into a passive victim figure, using the example of which the frightening homophobia of family and society is discussed, but who hardly grows into a tragic, complex character himself.
The village sheriffs want to sweep the case under the carpet – because they believe it is best for the victim's family.
From the point at which the son's possible homosexuality comes into play, a communicative debate or an active effort to achieve mutual understanding seems almost impossible for all three family members. A more intensive focus on the characters and their inner lives, their disappointments and their diverging ideas about life might have benefited the film.
The fact that Adi never takes a stand, that we learn nothing about his life in the city, his feelings and intentions, and that even an alleged kiss is not shown, is intended to illustrate how much of a taboo homosexuality remains, especially in rural Romania represents. One can only hope that the finally captured sunrise still indicates a last spark of hope.
Conclusion: “Three Kilometers to the End of the World” captures the corruption and the outrageous chain of actions that result from the unwanted outing of a young man. Unfortunately, director Emanuel Parvu is more interested in the village structures than the deep intra-family conflict.
We saw “Three Kilometers to the End of the World” at the 21st Festival de Sevilla.