LGBTQ-centered films often depict lovers at odds with a world that doesn’t understand or accept their lifestyles. The Romanian offering Poppy Field is an example of this, as the country is not as progressive as others.
The main protagonist Cristi (Conrad Mericoffer) is a gay man living two lives: he has dalliances with other gay men in the country (including a rendezvous in an elevator five minutes into the film) and is also a police officer. He does his best to keep his sexuality at bay, as coming out of the closet in Romania could mark the end of his career in the country. The bulk of the film is about Cristi’s turmoil in balancing these lives, as lover Hadi (Radouan Leflahi) and sister Catalina (Cendana Trifan) try to help Cristi come to terms with who he is.
Things escalate when Cristi and his team are sent to a local cinema to break up a protest against a lesbian romance being shown at the theater. This confrontation illustrates Cristi’s battle within himself. Does he swear by his duty as a cop? Or does he let his own lifestyle overtake him? In a harrowing scene after the cops start asking for IDs, a moviegoer asks, “You’re really going to pretend you don’t know me?”
It is this dichotomy that drives most of Poppy Field. It may seem outdated to some, yet those who have been persecuted for their own identity may find solace in the film.
What kind of film series would this drama film fit in?
The film may work in a public screening of LGBTQ/Pride Month selections.
What academic library shelves would this title be on?
Academic libraries should consider this title for students studying queer cinema or queer theory.