“This adept first feature quickly gathers momentum, delivering a
knotty portrait of a man who, like the culture in which he lives,
is still wrestling with the very idea of homosexuality.”
— Wendy Ide, Screen Daily
“With its minimalist approach and painstaking attention to detail,
director Eugen Jebeleanu manages to create a claustrophobic and chaotic atmosphere… and makes Poppy Field a worthy entry into the
Romanian New Wave. “
— Art House Street
“This is an exciting, morally grey film tackling a complex topic within a
country that is still in the process of fully recognizing LGBT rights. Stressing realism over didacticism while realizing the full humanity of nearly all its players, it’s more proof of the rich and exciting potential of contemporary Romanian film to make fascinating art out of simple premises.”
— Redmond Bacon, Dirty Movies
SYNOPSIS
Planning to spend a romantic weekend with his long-distance boyfriend, Christi’s tender reunion is cut short when he is called in to handle a crisis at work. Christi is a member of the Bucharest police force, and his unit is sent to quell a protest at a local movie theater, where a far-right group has interrupted the screening of a queer film. As tensions between the homophobic protesters and the audience mount, Christi, closeted to his fellow officers, begins to spiral out of control when he spots a former fling in the crowd. A violent outburst threatens to expose Christi’s secret and forces him to confront the contradictions between his personal and professional life.
Inspired by true events, POPPY FIELD, the feature film debut of director Eugen Jebeleanu, “reveals aspects of the wider damage done by prejudice that are rarely seen onscreen” (Eye for Film) and is a “worthy entry into the Romanian New Wave” (Art House Street).
