AIFF 2018: One Step Behind the Seraphim

      One Step Behind the Seraphim is Romanian cinema's religion-centred Dead Poets' Society: a coming-of-age story of a boy who has decided to go to an Orthodox college and become a priest. His life there is nothing like expected, though. Yes, there are priests and yes, the students should attend prayers throughout the day but in fact, their every day lives are nothing short of normal: the boys cheat on tests, forge leaves of absence, go to bars to drink and have sex with girls. 

     Daniel Sandu's almost-autobiographical movie (he claims that 80% of the events in the film are based on his life) may seem simple at first glance but touches quite a few subjects as it moves forward. In its 147 long minutes, the audience gets to know the protagonist Gabriel (Stefan Iancu) who tries to find his way as he grows up towards adulthood. As every boy his age, and even though he has chosen to go to an Orthodox college, Gabriel seeks to understand if being a priest is his true calling and if it is, what it means to be one. The boys are taught that priests are the most influential people of society yet they do not seem to get inspired by anything truly religious or spiritual: at one point one of their teachers even gives them tips on how to gain more money through their future church. Many are the moments when the heroes are quite a few steps behind the Seraphim as they always try to find ways to get away from homework or to falsify their leaves of absence and go on dates. They make bets, they bully each other and they even betray one another in order not to get expelled.

     As with every teenage school movie there is always a person who has to play the role of the villain; not because he is bad through and through but because he does not accept the state of things and goes against the norm. The "villain" is Father Ivan (Vlad Ivanov) a man who seems warm and approachable at first with his sympathetic smile and soft voice, but soon shows a different face as he struggles to control the hormone-driven boys in his school. Trying to achieve discipline in the college Father Ivan befriends kids (such as our protagonist) and distances himself from those he considers lost causes; those, he punishes following his principles of justice. And more than often, his punishments take the form of expulsion. However noble his reasoning might be, he expresses it in the wrong way: he promises his students that they have no fear of being thrown out of the school if they sign statements which accuse their schoolmates of improper behaviour. Following this tactic of snitching, he becomes the children's nemesis.
    But, as with every multi-layered story, the audience's personal stance plays a big part in the way the movie will be approached and perceived. It is true that Father Ivan does not let any personal feelings affect him and is completely detached by the (physical and sentimental) needs of his students - possibly because he's been there done that. However, the question starts to materialise: should these future priests be allowed to act as normal teenagers, or should more be expected of them as they will potentially become leading personages of society? What is more, is snitching the right way to teach and reprimand clergymen? What does that say about organised religion as a whole? Leaving the theatre, these were the issues that were pestering my mind.
    Apparently, One Step Behind the Seraphim isn't an easy film for casual moviegoers, especially because of its duration (which would easily need a little trim). Nonetheless, it is a film that creates complex characters, tells an interesting story and gives us a glimpse into a school and a world that we do not often get the chance to witness; and for that alone, it is worth watching.

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