THREE KILOMETRI PANA LA CAPATUL LUMII (2024) Emanuel Parvu

The first thing that came to mind when I saw this film was that things like this happen all the time, and telling this story won't change what happens in places like the one described.

A very simple story: a boy is beaten because he's gay. This incident has a series of consequences that aren't just related to homophobia but also to the relationships that form in small towns, bonds built on money and affection; places where the priest wields excessive power, in the name of beliefs that often have to do with superstition. The priest's statement, citing the Covid vaccine as the trigger for homosexuality, is fantastic.

Romania certainly retains some rather archaic values, but can this push two parents to tie up their son and have him exorcised to stop being homosexual? I mean, cruelty aside, how can we evaluate the ignorance of pursuing healing in this way?

Adi, the beaten boy, proves the truth of the greatest axiom in the gay world: Are you gay and live in a small town? Get out. There's not much else to do.

In the end, the film itself probably doesn't even have exceptional cinematic value; it's solid but without any great explosions. Let's say its ethical value improves it.

The protagonist is excellent, always very credible.