Emanuel Pârvu Examines Deep-Seeded Homophobia in ‘Three Kilometres to the End of the World’

Romania’s 40th International Feature Oscar submission is Emanuel Pârvu’s exceptional Three Kilometres to the End of the World, winner of the Queer Palm at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It is also one of the very few entries dealing with queer themes.

Set in a small conservative village on the Danube Delta, Three Kilometres delves into the community reaction when one of their own is gay bashed.

Adi (a wonderful Ciprian Chiujdea) is 17 and lives with his working-class father (Bogdan Dumitrache) and his religious mother (Laura Vasiliu). Both parents appear devoted to their son until they discover he is gay.

The local police chief investigates the attack and discovers that the crime was committed by the sons of a rich politico. The parents (mostly mother) feel the need to involve the local priest who forces an exorcism on the boy. But when a social services worker arrives, everyone tries to cover up their horrible deeds.

The film does its best to try and understand the motivations of most of its characters even when their actions have devastating consequences. Everyone seems to want to do the right thing, based on their (mostly) religiously ingrained idea of what that might be.

Three Kilometres walks the fine line between satire and authenticity, always leaning on the latter. The deft and insightful screenplay is by Pârvu and Miruna Berescu,

This is actor-turned-filmmaker Pârvu’s third feature. He wrote and directed his first film, Meda or the Not So Bright Side of Things  in 2017 followed by Mikado in 2021. Prior to those films, Pârvu’ made quite a number of award-winning shorts.

The Contending Zoom chatted with Pârvu about his deeply affecting movie.