Emanuel Pârvu wins Cannes award
Romanian production Three Kilometres to the End of the World by Emanuel Pârvu wins Queer Palm at Cannes International Film Festival, a prize for LGBTQ- relevant films.
Corina Sabău, 15.06.2024, 14:00
The Romanian production Three Kilometres to the End of the World, which was selected in the official competition for the Palm d’or at the Cannes International Film Festival, won the Queer Palm, a prize for LGBTQ- relevant films. Since 2010 when it first established, Queer Palm has been awarded to some memorable productions that reflect diversity. Emanuel Pârvu was accompanied on the red carpet by actors Bogdan Dumitrache, Valeriu Andriuță, Ciprian Chiujdea and Ingrid Micu-Berescu. The film opens in Romania at the Transylvania International Film Festival in Cluj Napoca held between 14th and 24th of June. Three Kilometres to the End of the World is the final part of a trilogy that also included Meda or the Not So Bright Side of Things, Pârvu’s first foray into feature film, and Morocco. While Meda won two prizes at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2018, Morocco was selected for the San Sebastian Festival in 2021. But let’s hear from the director himself. Emanuel Pârvu:
“It’s not a definitive ending, in the sense that it doesn’t mean that I won’t tackle this subject again. As far as I’m concerned, it can never be exhausted. The love between parents and children is the strongest form of love in my opinion and a territory that can be endlessly explored. However, I’m not sure if what I could add on the subject in the future would fit with the films I’ve done so far. I can tell you that these subjects have been very challenging, and I enjoyed them. Naturally, my concerns will remain in this area, I’m interested in the connections between people, and that’s what I will discuss in my future projects, but in a different way. The relationship between parents and children hasn’t been an easy subject, it has consumed me a lot, it kept me away at night and has haunted my inner life. After this trilogy I’m looking forward to a break. I think that also has its purpose.”
Emanuel Pârvu directed many theatre performances before moving on to cinema, and his debut project, Sector S, was nominated for the Theatre Union awards. He is also a talented actor, creating memorable parts in productions such as Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Constantin Popescu’s Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man, Dan Chișu’s Anniversary, Bogdan Apetri’s Miracle and Călin Peter Netzer’s Familiar. His doctoral thesis is about drama structures and for a few years he has been teaching at the Arts Faculty of the Ovidius University in Constanța. Emanuel Pârvu:
“I never do two projects at the same time. I can’t concentrate on a role and at the same time direct a film. I know some do it, but it doesn’t work for me. I like focusing on a single thing and dedicate myself entirely to that project. I am also very fond of my teaching activity. Together with Adrian Titieni and Daniela Vitcu, the dean of the Arts Faculty of the Ovidius University in Constanța, we established the first and only masters programme for film acting in Romania. I think it’s important that this programme was established in a state university, and I am very dedicated to my teaching activity and my relationship with the students. Perhaps because I have a 14-year-old child, I am very interested in the next generations. We should all be aware that in the last 20 years, sports and cinema have been the only internationally successful fields to come from Romania, thanks to the likes of Simona Halep, Cristina Neagu and David Popovici and a host of film directors. That’s why I want to invest in my teaching activity, because I am interested in what happens with the future of the country. I’m interested in how young people will grow up to be, I want us not to be considered second-rate citizens good only for picking strawberries and asparagus. I am personally very proud to be Romanian and I am interested in the future of this country and its education system. I think there’s a lot of good that can be built through people, and that’s how we can develop as a society.”
Three Kilometres to the End of the World is produced by FAMArt Association. The script is written by Emanuel Pârvu and Miruna Berescu, cinematography by Silviu Stavilă, editing by Mircea Olteanu, and stage design and costumes by Bogdan Ionescu.
