Romanian film review – Soldiers. Story from Ferentari

Adrian Schiop’s autobiographical novel was quite the sensation when it came out in 2013. Soldații. Poveste din Ferentari/Soldiers. Story from Ferentari has probably been on every person’s reading list since then, so an adaptation made perfect sense.

In case you missed the film's premiere in February, you can catch it in the following days at Transilvania International Film Festival, kicking off this Friday in Cluj. These are the screening details for the film and while you are there, you should catch their entire section dedicated to Romanian cinema; it is always a must.

The reason the novel caused such a stir are the many prickly topics it addresses. Just like the film, it centers on Adi who has been recently dumped by his girlfriend and moves to one of the most ill-famed Bucharest neighborhoods, Ferentari. Populated mostly by Roma, the rough and rugged area is ideal for his field research on manele (a musical genre with oriental and eastern-European influences, and performed mostly by Roma musicians. While manele are the hot thing now in alternative circles, they were frowned upon in the 1990s and early 2000s, and they were practically inescapable. Adi doesn’t get round to work too much on his PhD though because he quickly befriends jovial, out-there former convict Alberto (or rather is befriended by him) and before they (or we) know it, they are lovers. The film is not interested in labeling their sexuality or relationship, which works really well. Alberto is unapologetically himself, and admits to craving for warmth and nearness after so many years deprived of them (he also seems to be very relaxed about his apparent bisexuality and in a hilarious scene brashes about his skills in pleasuring other men), and Adi is a drifter whose reasons are more oblique. But what they both get out of their relationship, it seems, is a feeling of freedom and pure fun. It also seems one of the unexpected, out-of-nowhere things that come your way and if you grab them, they will probably leave a lasting mark. From here on, the film focuses exclusively on the two leads and their evolving relationship.

For all its relaxed, freewheeling aura, Soldiers is also unexpectedly moving and the largely amateur cast is its biggest asset (and probably the reason). The Roma actors have no experience with acting, but they surely deliver in terms of liveliness and emotion. They are really wonderful, making