Interview with the actor Emanuel Parvu. “Familiar” – a new cinematic journey into Romanian family secrets

“Familiar,” the fifth feature film directed by Calin Peter Netzer, explores the journey of Romanian director Dragos (Emanuel Parvu), who embarks on a mission to investigate his family’s emigration to Germany in the 1980s, unearthing secrets and unexpected connections with the country’s communist-era secret police, the Securitate. As Dragos delves into the past, his relationships are tested, and the film unfolds as a powerful exploration of family dynamics and hidden truths.

The movie is set to hit theatres in more than 20 cities across Romania starting January 26. The cast includes notable actors such as Emanuel Parvu, who recently shared insights about the film in an interview with Business Review. Joining him are Iulia Lumanare, Ana Ciontea, Adrian Titieni, Victoria Moraru, and Vlad Ivanov. 

What drew you to the character of Dragos Binder in “Familiar” and what aspects of his character did you find particularly compelling or relatable and made you want to take on this role?

In this particular case, the attraction was more from a personal sphere: occasionally, alongside acting, when I feel I have a story to tell, I am also drawn to film directing. Since this role is about a film director who endures “the pains of creation,” I tried to relate it more to my own experiences. Usually, I am drawn to the circumstances, the text, the director, the co-stars—and here, all the elements were present to such a high degree that the decision was extremely simple.

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Dragos, your character in “Familiar,” embarks on a deeply personal journey to uncover family secrets. Can you share your approach to portraying this complex emotional experience on screen?

The path of introspection is taken whether you want it or not, whether you are directing or acting. I’m not saying it’s easy; I’m just saying it’s inevitable. And there, in the depths, the encounter with oneself is not easy. Because you must find a way for it to no longer be about you, but about the character you’re playing. Actors are very selfish and egocentric. And the first stage of preparation (which I practice every time, in every project) was getting out of myself, forgetting the way I see myself, the way I sound, the way I stand—first and foremost getting rid of the external forms.

Dragos also grapples with his relationship with his mother, Valentina, who is portrayed as a complex character. How did you approach the dynamics of this mother-son relationship?

For me, this part of the role was extremely difficult because I have a special and extraordinary relationship with my own mother. She’s been supportive throughout my life. We’ve never argued; we’ve helped each other; we’ve been very good friends. That doesn’t really happen in the film. So, Dragos’s relationship with his mother was a particularly challenging composition. It’s very hard to set aside personal experience, as there’s not much else to cling to. As easy as it was to connect with Dragos’s profession, his sleepless nights, his torment, it was equally difficult to structure his relationship with his parents.

In the film, Dragos becomes entangled in a web of secrets and memories. How did you prepare for the role, particularly in capturing the character’s internal conflicts?

As I mentioned earlier, this was the easier part. Although it seems difficult, the way the director cast the film made this part smoother. I’ve been through what Dragos goes through quite often, so the transition from the text’s horizontal aspect to the character’s vertical aspect was easier to make.

“Familiar” explores themes of identity and the impact of past experiences on the present. How did you relate to these themes in your portrayal of Dragos?

I think that’s a very good observation, and I’ll go back to the parts of working on the role—and this was again a difficult one. I admit I didn’t have identity issues, and I didn’t have past issues that came rushing at me. I was very fortunate in that regard. I had a lot of help from the director and my fellow actors; it was an intense process during the reading and text deciphering stage. Calin took great care in unravelling the character’s motivations and outlining Dragos’s relationship with the past.

Your character’s quest for truth and understanding is central to the film. What message do you think viewers can take away from Dragos’s journey?

I believe (and hope) that each viewer will relate differently to his issues—some will seek to explore their relationship with their parents, others with their past, others with their lovers, others with their profession. But I don’t think the truth is within each of us; I think there’s only perspective. And perspective is altered by circumstances and relationships with all those mentioned above. I believe the film invites introspection, which is a necessary evil.

Can you share any memorable experiences or challenges you faced while working on this film and how they contributed to your character’s development?

There were situations where human limits were discovered at times when one wouldn’t want to have limits, in neither physical nor mental endurance. There were moments when the brain and soul would have wanted to do more takes, but the body wanted to stop. There were instances when I got injured; moments when I lost my voice; moments when I drank six litres of apple juice with sparkling water (a kind of German drink; I don’t ever drink apple juice). But I discovered that mental limits can be stretched more than physical ones—the latter are very concrete.

“Familiar” is a blend of family drama, mystery, and psychological exploration. What do you believe sets this film apart from other projects you’ve taken on?

From my point of view, it was the proximity to the character’s condition. That was different. As for roles, I’ve been a policeman, inspector, secret agent, investigator, debt collector, peasant, teacher, military officer, doctor, reporter, and editor-in-chief—I’ve been lucky to have had a wide range of roles. But all of them required horizontal study; I had to delve more into the daily lives of the characters I played. Here, being close to Dragos’s condition, the study was much more vertical; it was very difficult to distance myself from my experience as a director in my real life and create the director that Calin had envisioned.