Soldiers. Story from Ferentari (Soldatii. Poveste din
Ferentari)
(Romania/Serbia/Belgium, 119 min.)
Dir. Ivana Mladenovic, Writ. Adrian Schiop,
Ivana Mladenovic
Starring: Adrian Schiop, Vasile Pavel-Digudai
Programme: Discovery (World Premiere)
In a world of repressed morals, social
taboos, and restricted freedoms, alter-egos are inevitable tools to help
individuals explore their hidden desires. Soldiers.
Story from Ferentari draws from such a tale in its adaptation of Adrian
Schiop’s “fictionalized biography” and it delivers a rugged gay bromance in the
conservative and impoverished Roma ghetto of Ferentari, Bucharest. The film
finds an intriguing natural style as Schiop stars in the adaptation of the
adaptation of his life, while non-professional actors and kitchen-sink mise en scène makes Soldiers. Story from
Ferentari an authentic tale of forbidden love.
Neither man is a cruiser, though, or
looking for dudes in the old-fashioned ways that pre-date dating apps. Adi is
quiet but Alberto is a boisterous bro, and when the latter suggests they dial
up a hooker and kick the party up a notch with a threesome, the host becomes
meek and awkward. He’d rather they spend the night drinking.
It turns out that the guys don’t need the
lady of the night for fun at all. What becomes a secretive tryst quickly turns
into a tender affair. The men must hide their feelings from friends and
neighbours, though, lest conservatism squash both their lives.
Director Ivana Mladenovic lets the
situation do the talking in Soldiers as
the realism and authenticity of the characters’ situation and surroundings.
This rare portrait of queer love in Eastern Europe, or the struggle to realize
one’s desire, offers a unique glimpse into the minds of the men of a
conservative society. Adi and Alberto struggle to break through the mould of
masculinity they carry and it’s a tough shell to crack. When the film closes
with its final glimpses of Alberto, wandering the streets and hustling to
survive, the film provides an effective portrait of one lost soul among many.
Find more TIFF coverage here.
TIFF runs Sept. 7-17. Visit TIFF.net for info and showtimes.