51 AVITAMINOSIS by Kateryna Ruzhyna BIG PHAT PARTY by Kinga Pudelek FALLING by Anna Gyimesi HOPE HOTEL PHANTOM by Bojan Stojcic MAMMOTH by Dordije Petrovic THE LAND OF ALIENS by Olya Chernykh THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CORNER IN THE WORLD by Robo Mihaly THE TRIP by Rimantas Oicenka TINY SUMMER TRILOGY by Maryna Brodovska, Olya Chernykh, Dea Tcholokava UNTIL ALL IS RESOLVED by Marija Georgiev The Most Beautiful Corner in the World functions as a type of mirror for contemporary Slovak society as, like in many other European countries, new forms of authoritarianism loom on the horizon. A trip to the countryside to celebrate the grandmother’s birthday carries with it the undertones of a recent marital affair. The characters of the genuine film Mammoth all look for healing and comprehension in a different corner of the landscape. See you on November 22nd for our Opening Night at Filmhuis Den Haag! And don’t forget to vote for your favourite film! Stefan Pavlovic Film programmer 49
52 NEW TALENTS COMPETITION / UKRAINE - A NEW PERSPECTIVE While dealing with a precarious job in a fraudulent call centre, a young filmmaker decides to move in an attempt to search for healing from the frustration. The unfavourable situation of the labour market during the pandemic pushes Kateryna to work in a fraudulent call centre that sells vitamins that promise “magical” success to his consumers. While this helped to survive financially, months of isolation, irritated customers and frustration took her into a vitamin deficiency, so-called avitaminosis. The film is a journey into fragility and the search for healing and love in an increasingly suffocating world for young generations. AVITAMINOSIS AVITAMINOZ | 2023 | 26 min PRODUCTION: Kateryna Ruzhyna SCREENPLAY: Kateryna Ruzhyna CINEMATOGRAPHY: Kateryna Ruzhyna EDITING: Kateryna Ruzhyna; Anna Belova, Maxim Smirnov SOUND: Maks Kara by KATERYNA RUZHYNA Ukraine, Czech Republic DUTCH PREMIERE
53 NEW TALENTS COMPETITION The visually captivating and intimate film examines the fragile structures of friendship and how its bonds can fall apart. The stylized camera shots bring the sensitivities of the characters to the foreground in a nuanced way. The three protagonists are faced with a problem that could lead to the breakdown of their friendship. The Shortlist winner at the New Horizons International Film Festival, awarded for its refreshing nonchalance, creativity, and emotional honesty, which allows the audience to feel the euphoria of the night and the hardships of the morning together with the characters. BIG PHAT PARTY GRUBY MELON | 2022 | 17 min PRODUCTION: Aleksandra Kardynal – Lodz Film School CAST: Janusz Kotlicki, Dominik Kociolek, Wiktoria Kruszczynska SCREENPLAY: Kinga Pudelek CINEMATOGRAPHY: Ignacy Ciszewski EDITING: Filip Stanislawski by KINGA PUDELEK Poland DUTCH PREMIERE
54 NEW TALENTS COMPETITION To move on with her life, Els has to accept her adult daughter’s decision to ask for psychiatric euthanasia. Els is a mother in her late 40s, divorced and in love again. For her, falling in love was not easy: it meant that she had to accept that she has a life, even if her 20-yearold daughter wants to die and has already asked for euthanasia - something Els can do nothing about. Feeling a storm of guilt, anger, fear, and hope, it is love that teaches Els to try to move forward, even if it seems impossible. She meets her daughter once per week, and waits for the final decision about euthanasia from her daughter’s psychiatric team. She tries to accept her daughter’s choice, but she still hopes that she will change her mind. It’s a lyrical, found footage-based testimony from a mother who faces not only the taboos surrounding motherhood, but also the most difficult situation of her life. FALLING FALLING | 2023 | 16 min PRODUCTION: Anna Gyimesi – DocNomads Joint Masters SCREENPLAY: Anna Gyimesi CINEMATOGRAPHY: IICADOM EDITING: Anna Gyimesi SOUND: Anna Gyimesi, Aurélien Lebourg by ANNA GYIMESI Belgium, Portugal, Hungary DUTCH PREMIERE
55 NEW TALENTS COMPETITION In 1995, a hotel near a small city in Ohio accommodated those negotiating the agreement that would end the violent war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 27 years later, at a time when the Dayton Agreement is associated more with dysfunction than with peace, the filmmaker books a room in that same hotel as the people who left his country in an unchangeable quasi-democratic state. In which its citizens can only be recognized as one of three ethnic categories, rendering everyone else as “others” – citizens without the right of political participation or recognition. The director occupied the same spaces as those who had once shaped his past and future – a phantom in the echoes of this historical event: a dream turned nightmare. HOPE HOTEL PHANTOM HOPE HOTEL PHANTOM | 2023 | 22 min PRODUCTION: Bojan Stojcic SCREENPLAY: Bojan Stojcic CINEMATOGRAPHY: Bojan Stojcic EDITING: Bojan Stojcic, Midhat Mujkic by BOJAN STOJCIC Bosnia and Herzegovina, United States of America DUTCH PREMIERE
56 NEW TALENTS COMPETITION A seemingly idyllic family weekend in the countryside, shaken up by a father’s recent love affair. Nebojsa comes to the countryside with his wife and son, to celebrate his mother’s birthday. The family is trying to spend an idyllic weekend together, but the harmony is shaken up by Nebojsa’s recent love affair. MAMMOTH MAMUT | 2023 | 19 min PRODUCTION: Katarina Putic CAST: Vahid Dzankovic, Jelena Mihajlovic, Marko Miljkovic SCREENPLAY: Dordije Petrovic CINEMATOGRAPHY: Anastas Stojilovic EDITING: Milan Jovanovic by DORDIJE PETROVIC Serbia DUTCH PREMIERE
57 NEW TALENTS COMPETITION / UKRAINE - A NEW PERSPECTIVE A short sci-fi drama about an enemy invasion of a peaceful land. An amateur astronomer experiences the last peaceful day on his land before the invasion of “aliens”. He has to choose: to stay in his place, surrounded by invaders, or to leave all he has and fly away into the unknown. The story is being told in a fairy-tale manner, but the constructed world accurately recalls today’s world. THE LAND OF ALIENS THE LAND OF ALIENS | 2023 | 19 min PRODUCTION: Anzhela Sokol, Iryna Nikonchuk CAST: Yurii Kulinich, Alisa Kliushkina, Ihor Shcherbak, Maksym Burlaka SCREENPLAY: Maryna Brodovska CINEMATOGRAPHY: Yevhen Sakhno EDITING: Hanna Perepelitsa by OLGA CHERNYKH Ukraine DUTCH PREMIERE
58 NEW TALENTS COMPETITION / IN FOCUS - SLOVAKIA “Nationalism is an infantile disease; it is the measles of mankind”, Albert Einstein. The documentary essay sets a mirror against contemporary Slovak society by pointing out the inability to consider language and history, which has led to the threat of new authoritarianism. In the film, we watch a young Ukrainian woman who is selected for a fictitious competition for a TV journalist, who attends a variety of events, people and public protests in order to understand Slovak social-political reality. Although the war in Ukraine is seemingly taking place in the background, it is also significantly affecting the current mood, societal tensions, language, and new forms of populism in the country. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CORNER IN THE WORLD NAJKRAJSI KUT V SIROM SVETE | 2022 | 25 min PRODUCTION: Tereza Holubova – Academy of Performing Arts/Film & TV Faculty, Bratislava CAST: Zoya Zorkina, Vladimir Strmen, Ivan Kamenec, Margareta Vysna SCREENPLAY: Robo Mihaly CINEMATOGRAPHY: Boris Dubik, Michal Vasil, Robo Mihaly EDITING: Petra Vrbova by ROBO MIHALI Sovakia DUTCH PREMIERE
59 NEW TALENTS COMPETITION Before they head off to catch fish in the far Atlantic, fishermen from Soviet Lithuania kiss their wives goodbye. The shadow of the Iron Curtain still follows the men. Port of Klaipeda, Soviet Lithuania, 1975. Against the backdrop of an industrial fishing boat, fishermen say goodbye to their wives. They are going off to the sea to catch fish on the faraway Atlantic coasts of Africa. The boat is going to be their home for the next five months. Even though the ship sails thousands of miles away from the Iron Curtain, its shadow follows the men. THE TRIP REISAS | 2022 | 25 min PRODUCTION: Jurga Kaye – Studija Kinema SCREENPLAY & EDITING: Rimantas Oicenka CINEMATOGRAPHY: Linas Ziura, Laimis Janutenas (archival footage) SOUND: Sigitas Motoras MUSIC: Vytautas Leistrumas by RIMANTAS OICENKA Lithuania DUTCH PREMIERE
60 NEW TALENTS COMPETITION / UKRAINE - A NEW PERSPECTIVE Three short stories about feeling the taste of summer. Tiny Summer Trilogy is a short documentary in three parts which, from different angles, evokes the warmness and shortness of summer, the feeling of freedom and melancholy, and even the life of bugs. The collaboration project of three female directors from Georgia and Ukraine was made with the aim of manifesting their love of cinema in an experimental, luminous form. TINY SUMMER TRILOGY TINY SUMMER TRILOGY | 2023 | 8 min PRODUCTION: Maryna Brodovska, Dea Tcholokava, Olga Chernykh; Kino Guarimba CAST: Carmen and Roberto, Mariam Tcholokava, people of Amantea city EDITING: Olga Chernykh, Dea Tcholokava SOUND: Veronika Kanischeva, Maryna Brodovska, Dea Tcholokava VOICE OVER: Mariam Tcholokava, Olga Chernykh by DEA TCHOLOKAVA, MARYNA BRODOVSKA, OLYA CHERNYKH Serbia DUTCH PREMIERE
61 NEW TALENTS COMPETITION An accidental encounter in a café on a sunny weekend morning. The conversation goes wrong. People trying their best to keep up appearances but slightly losing control in a deadpan, short comedy of manners. Slavica, once a respected self-made woman, meets her personal doctor by chance on a sunny weekend stroll. The chit-chat turns eerie, and communication breaks down. No explanations are provided... and life just goes on. According to the director, Until All is Resolved is a dialogue miniature. An exploration of power relations, specifically of those unintentional and slight acts of rudeness to which we are all occasionally prone in communication. Through an estranged narrative, phoney dialogues, unusual editing choices, and synth music, the film neglects the norms with the aim to block the automaticity of expectations. UNTIL ALL IS RESOLVED DA SE SVE RIJESI | 2022 | 13 min PRODUCTION: Bojan Kanjera – Peglanje snova CAST: Edita Karadole, Jelena Miholjevic, Biserka Ipsa, Dora Polic Vitez SCREENPLAY: Marija Georgiev CINEMATOGRAPHY: Damir Kudin EDITING: Ivan Kraljevic by MARIJA GEORGIEV Croatia WORLD PREMIERE
62 Gender is an unwelcome word in Balkan countries, especially regarding social and cultural differences rather than biological ones, or when referring to a whole range of other identities that do not correspond to the established ideas of male and female. There are few films on LGBTQ+ topics being made in the Balkans, and certainly not with money from the official (state-funded) film agencies. However, in this rather grim situation, several NGOs are actively trying to stand for the rights of LGBTQ+ people. They keep the debate alive and regularly organise Gay Pride (if allowed or not cancelled at the last moment). The marchers during the Pride are often attacked, suffering physical and verbal abuse. Through existing films that depict the struggle or just the life of LGBTQ+ persons, one can observe the broader spirit of the society, in which we see the forces of conservatism and patriotism but also tendencies of change and fresh liberal thinking. GENDER FLUIDITY IN THE BALKANS 60
63 Four chosen films; a documentary, a docufiction and a fiction film, observe the topic from different angles and each opens a huge territory to be seen and discussed. Bozo Vreco, an enfant terrible of the Balkan cultural scenes, sings and dances beautifully, performs all over the world, and now he opened his heart in a documentary film Maldita, A Love Song to Sarajevo by Amaia Remirez and Raul de la Fuente Calle. Christina by Nikola Spasic (Serbia) is a successful, engaging and influential docufiction that premiered at FID Marseille. It’s about a transgender sex worker in Serbia. Kristina, who plays herself in the film, is religious. LGBT_SLO_1984 by Boris Petkovic (Slovenia) is a documentary that opens with the Magnus Gay Culture Festival, which took place in 1984 in the SKUC theatre in Ljubljana and which included the LGBT Film Festival – the first of its kind in Europe. Women Do Cry by Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova (Bulgaria) competed at Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Festival in 2021. Set in the capital, Sofia, the film depicts 19-yearold Sonja, diagnosed with HIV, and the women in her family who flock around and support her. 61
64 GENDER FLUIDITY IN THE BALKANS An engaging docufiction about a transgender sex worker in Serbia. Christina, who plays herself in the film, loves her cat and is very religious. She collects antiques and undergoes non-hypnotic regression sessions. A compelling observational film that brings trans-identity and religion together, and confronts two different worlds in Serbia, the traditional one and the more open one. Christina, who used to be a man, lives with her cat in a small but luxuriously decorated house. Her life, like her sex appointments, is precisely timed. One day she accidentally meets Marko, a former student of theology. After a series of chance encounters, Christina wonders whether he is a phantom or her soulmate. It is an intriguing portrayal of a person torn between selling physical love and searching for unconditional love. CHRISTINA KRISTINA | 2022 | 90 min PRODUCTION: Nikola Spasic, Milanka Gvoic – Rezon CAST: Kristina Milosavljevic, Marko Radisic, Jelena Galovic SCREENPLAY: Milanka Gvoic CINEMATOGRAPHY: Igor Lazic EDITING: Nikola Spasic by NIKOLA SPASIC Serbia DUTCH PREMIERE
65 GENDER FLUIDITY IN THE BALKANS What began in 1984, still goes on today: 35 years of the LGBT movement in Slovenia through the prism of activism and culture. This archival documentary begins with the Magnus Gay Culture Festival, which was organised in 1984 in the legendary cultural centre SKUC Ljubljana, and which included the LGBT Film Festival — the first LGBT film festival in Europe. In the same year, the so-called “Magnus Section” — the first organised gay movement in the former Yugoslavia and probably in Eastern Europe as well — was established in the context of the SKUC-Forum, which brought together various alternative and civil social movements. The first years were characterised by club events (only of their kind in former Yugoslavia) and the organisation of events and festivals. The Slovenian LGBT movement became the most progressive movement of that time and is still active today in different forms and organisations. LGBT_SLO_1984 LGBT_SLO_1984 | 2022 | 87 min PRODUCTION: Mirella Habr, Boris Petkovic – Zavod Kineki; RTV Slovenija, Katapult ANIMATION: Nuka Horvat CINEMATOGRAPHY: Lea Aymard EDITING: Boris Petkovic, Kristian Bozak Kavcic MUSIC: Aldo Ivancic by BORIS PETKOVIC Slovenia DUTCH PREMIERE
66 GENDER FLUIDITY IN THE BALKANS Bozo Vreco, an enfant terrible of the Balkan cultural scene, sings and dances beautifully, performs all over the world, and now he opened his heart in a documentary film. A tribute to life in Sarajevo and overcoming obstacles, fuelled with passion, love, and sincerity. Neither the weight of arms, the onslaught of history, nor the envy of those seeking a “pure” world have managed to destroy Sarajevo, which today is coming back stronger than ever. The revolutionary artist Bozo Vreco perfectly embodies the soul of the “innocent city” and, with his uninhibited attitude, builds bridges between past and present, between men and women, between origins and regions. The film is a hymn to life and the love story between two cities, Sarajevo and Barcelona, which were able to find each other in hard times, never to be parted again. It captures the creative process of the Bosnian singer and Catalan pianist Clara Peya. MALDITA. A LOVE SONG TO SARAJEVO MALDITA. A LOVE SONG TO SARAJEVO | 2022 | 27 min PRODUCTION: Ivan Zahinos – Medicus Mundi Mediterrania, Kanaki Films CAST: Bozo Vreco, Clara Peya SCREENPLAY: Amaia Remirez, Ivan Zahinos CINEMATOGRAPHY: Raul de la Fuente Calle EDITING: Raul de la Fuente Calle by AMAIA REMIREZ, RAUL DE LA FUENTE CALLE Spain DUTCH PREMIERE
67 GENDER FLUIDITY IN THE BALKANS A political satire that looks at the sexual power structures still prevalent worldwide, using comedy, anger and frustration. The film had its world premiere in Cannes, starring Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova. An injured stork, a woman in the midst of postnatal depression, a young girl confronted with the stigma of HIV, a mother who seeks a little magic in the lunar calendar. Sisters, mothers, and daughters face their fragilities and the absurdity of life as violent protests and debates about gender tear their country Bulgaria apart. Directed by two creative and courageous film authors (Vesela is also a renowned actress, and Mina is a well-known film animation maker), this playful yet very serious film is one of the works that strongly divides the audience at home. However, the duo wholeheartedly follows their passion for making brave, edgy cinema. WOMEN DO CRY ZHENITE NAISTINA PLACHAT | 2021 | 107 PRODUCTION: Mina Mileva, Vesela Kazakova – Activist 38; Christophe Bruncher – Ici et La Productions, Arte France Cinema CAST: Maria Bakalova, Ralitsa Stoyanova, Katia, Bilyana & Vesela Kazakova SCREENPLAY: Bilyana Kazakova, Mina Mileva, Vesela Kazakova CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dimitar Kostov EDITING: Donka Ivanova, Yann Dedet by MINA MILEVA, VESELA KAZAKOVA Bulgaria, France DUTCH PREMIERE
68 “Sarajevo City of Film’’ is an Obala Art Center / Sarajevo Film Festival project. The festival started during the war and siege of Sarajevo. Today, 29 years later, SFF is the region’s leading film festival, recognised by film professionals and the wider audience. High-quality programming, a substantial industry segment, and an educational and networking platform for young filmmakers has confirmed its status as the leading film event in this part of Europe. The festival brings the international film industry, filmmakers, and media representatives together alongside a paying audience of over 100,000 people. In an emerging territory of more than 140 million inhabitants, SFF serves as a common platform for film businesses from all over the region, setting the standard for the future of festival organisation, film promotion, and presentation in South-East Europe. “Sarajevo City of Film” is one of its successful and well-respected projects launched with the mission to discover, support, and promote the talent of filmmakers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region. The project aims to enable their cooperation and exchange of experience for the creation of a joint film work. From 2008 to today, more than 300 young directors, screenwriters, producers, actors, cameramen, and editors have shot their short films in Sarajevo and collaborated on them. As part of this engaging project, many famous directors like Radu Jude, Hana Jusic, Sonja Tarokic, Dane Komljen, Paul Negoescu, and Cristina Grosan made remarkable shorts in collaboration with colleagues from the neighbouring countries. We are presenting four of them within the “Sarajevo City of Film” short program: SARAJEVO CITY OF FILM 66
69 FRIGIDANCE by Kelmend Karuni LIBERATION IN 26 PICTURES by Ivan Ramljak, Marko Skobalj ROUTE-3 by Thanasis Neofotistos SMART GIRLS by Sonja Tarokic, Hana Jusic 67
70 SARAJEVO CITY OF FILM A bizarre tango lesson without music. What would it mean to dare? A film about the fluidity of human emotion, human connection, and the lack of it. What would it mean to dare? In a bizarre tango lesson, everybody is pretending to dance without any music. Everybody follows the directions of the tango teacher, who leads every couple to a more passionate approach to the tango. She urges them to feel it, to pretend that the music and rhythm is leading their steps. Ema, one of the students, tries to break this absurdity just for once and be herself. She does something that may spoil the balance of this awkward reality. FRIGIDANCE FRIGIDANCE | 2010 | 9 min PRODUCTION: Andrada Romagno, Dijana Olcay-Hot, Edin Pasovic, Isa Zivanovic, Nives Zemba, Valentina Oresic – Obala Art Centar CAST: Ivana Popovic, Alena Dzebo, Ivan Koroman SCREENPLAY: Kelmend Karuni, Dzenan Medanovic CINEMATOGRAPHY: Erol Zubcevic EDITING: Timur Makarevic by KELMEND KARUNI Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania DUTCH PREMIERE
71 SARAJEVO CITY OF FILM A short meditation on the resilience of life in 26 perfectly set pictures. A forgotten old partisan leads a lonely life. His only interests are observing his neighbours and watching Sumo wrestling on his antique television set. One day he notices something through his WW2 binoculars that will set him on his last guerilla mission. LIBERATION IN 26 PICTURES OSLOBODJENJE U 26 SLIKA | 2009 | 18 min PRODUCTION: Amra Baksic Camo – Obala Art Centar; HAVC CAST: Esma Arnautovic, Vlado Jokanovic, Ahmed Bahto SCREENPLAY: Marko Skobalj, Ivan Ramljak CINEMATOGRAPHY: Ivan Slipcevic EDITING: Marin Juranic by IVAN RAMLJAK, MARKO SKOBALJ Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia
72 SARAJEVO CITY OF FILM Sex, hijabs, and a tram full of oranges. In a tram on Route-3, the Old Lady in the leopard dress treats the passengers with juicy oranges during a hot, but rainy day in the centre of Sarajevo. Nadja, the princess-teen in her pink hijab; Luka, the virgin bully; an Orthodox Priest; a creepy old man and many, many more ordinary people in this tram have nothing in common, but a juicy slice of orange. All except a shy, yet horny, teenager named Amar. ROUTE-3 ROUTE-3 | 2019 | 13 min PRODUCTION: Dimitris Tsakaleas, Armin Hadzic – Obala Art Center; Imagina Pictures, DNA Lab CAST: Enes Kozlicic, Lazar Dragojevic, Simonida Mandic SCREENPLAY: Marina Symeou CINEMATOGRAPHY: Carmen Tofeni EDITING: Panos Angelopoulos, Sasa Pesevski by THANASIS NEOFOTISTOS Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece DUTCH PREMIERE
73 SARAJEVO CITY OF FILM A fresh, unexpected, comic story about the loss of virginity. The joint work of two established female directors that plays with stereotypes and conventional social norms. While Marija is set with her boyfriend, her roommate Nikolina is still a virgin. But, after realising that the social practices have changed, she has to follow her duties and restructure her beliefs. SMART GIRLS PAMETNICE | 2010 | 24 min PRODUCTION: Andrada Romagno, Isa Zivanovic, Edin Pasovic, Dijana Olcay-Hot, Nives Zemba, Valentina Oresic – Obala Art Centar CAST: Karla Brbic, Marina Vodenicar, Edhem Husic, Enes Salkovic SCREENPLAY: Hana Jusic, Sonja Tarokic CINEMATOGRAPHY: Marko Brdar EDITING: Timur Makarevic by HANA JUSIC, SONJA TAROKIC Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia DUTCH PREMIERE
74 Slovak cinema has a rich history, but it began to develop much later than other national cinemas in Europe. So, we can still say that Slovak cinema is quite young. During the years, Slovak cinema has been heavily influenced by the political situation. The closure of Koliba Film Studios in the early 90s profoundly impacted the Slovak cinema industry. And it took years to start the film industry again. One of the main points was the formation of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund in 2010. Thanks to that Slovak film has experienced an “intense boom” in recent years – there are a lot of young, interesting authors, and genre experiments. It has also opened up to foreign countries, and several films are created as co-productions - not only as majority but also as minority co-productions. At the same time, many Slovak films premiered at major festivals such as Venice (107 Mothers, Victim, Photophobia) or Berlinale (Notes from Eremocene, Servants, Mimi). The selection of Slovak films that will be a part of the Eastern Neighbours festival programme is proof of the diversity of Slovak cinema nowadays. From Teodor Kuhn’s debut feature-length film By a Sharp Knife inspired by true events; experimental animation combined Slovak tradition and PC games Criss Cross; a well-made documentary work of one of the main figures of Slovak documentary film – Robert Kirchhoff about an important person of our history Alexander Dubcek; or fresh new talents with short films such as Dominika Kovacova, Alica Bednarikova, and many others. I believe that this small “taste of Slovak cinema” will revive your interest, because Slovak film is alive and something worth watching. Monika Lostakova in focus - SLOVAKIA 72
75 ALL MEN BECOME BROTHERS by Robert Kirchhoff AWOHALI - THE EAGLE by Dominika Kovacova BY A SHARP KNIFE by Teodor Kuhn CRISS CROSS by Nina Rybarova, Tomas Rybar LIQUID BREAD by Alica Bednarikova THE BALLAD OF PIARGY by Ivo Trajkov THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CORNER IN THE WORLD by Robo Mihaly p. 30 p. 31 p. 11 p. 41 p. 44 p. 20 p. 56 73
76 Film is a medium defined by its relationship with memory. The audience is always aware that what it sees on screen was recorded in the past and edited in retrospect. In many ways, every film is a reminiscence, with the filmmaker and editor taking on the role of our subconscious as they select, focus, and edit images. “Cinema, like our memory, travels through time, reliving moments from the past with limitless possibilities,” says Hungarian philosopher and aesthetician Georg Lukacs. According to him, “cinema copies the selective encoding process of our memory onto the screen as a director and editor compose the images and scenes into a full-length film.” When we immerse ourselves in the stories of contemporary films, our memories often force us to think about our situation in the here and now, and even about the future. We look at dealing with memory in film from different angles. For example, memories that are projected but not present, or memories from a personal or collective recollection through archive material. Memory is not just about the past but also about interaction with the present, which can consciously or unconsciously influence our view of the future. How do we anticipate the future by, for instance, being confronted daily with the constant horrors of the war in Ukraine? What will the story of Europe be in thirty or more years? memory in cinema 74
77 DESERTERS by Damir Markovina EL SHATT - A BLUEPRINT FOR UTOPIA by Ivan Ramljak GRANNY’S SEXUAL LIFE by Urska Djukic, Emilie Pigeard LIBERTATE by Tudor Giurgiu LOVE IS NOT AN ORANGE by Otilia Babara SCENES WITH MY FATHER by Biserka Suran THE CARS WE DROVE INTO CAPITALISM by Georgi Bogdanov, Boris Missirkov THE LAND WITHIN by Fisnik Maxville This program comprises feature films, documentaries, and animated films from six countries. Here are the selected films: p. 32 p. 34 p. 43 p. 15 p. 35 p. 37 p. 38 p. 22 75
78 Film is a medium defined by its relationship with memory. The audience is always aware that what it sees on screen was recorded in the past and edited in retrospect. In many ways, every film is a reminiscence, with the filmmaker and editor taking on the role of our subconscious as they select, focus, and edit images. “Cinema, like our memory, travels through time, reliving moments from the past with limitless possibilities,” says Hungarian philosopher and aesthetician Georg Lukacs. According to him, “cinema copies the selective encoding process of our memory onto the screen as a director and editor compose the images and scenes into a full-length film.” When we immerse ourselves in the stories of contemporary films, our memories often force us to think about our situation in the here and now, and even about the future. We look at dealing with memory in film from different angles. For example, memories that are projected but not present, or memories from a personal or collective recollection through archive material. Memory is not just about the past but also about interaction with the present, which can consciously or unconsciously influence our view of the future. How do we anticipate the future by, for instance, being confronted daily with the constant horrors of the war in Ukraine? What will the story of Europe be in thirty or more years? UKRAINE – a new perspective 76
79 AVITAMINOSIS by Kateryna Ruzhyna IVAN’S LAND by Andrii Lysetskyi KING LEAR: HOW WE LOOKED FOR LOVE DURING THE WAR by Dmytro Hreshko, Ukraine THE LAND OF ALIENS by Olga Chernykh, Ukraine TINY SUMMER TRILOGY by Dea Tcholokava, Maryna Brodovska, Olya Chernykh WAKING UP IN SILENCE by Mila Zhluktenko, Daniel Asadi Faezi p. 50 p. 6 p. 36 p. 55 p. 58 p. 47 77
80 ENFF EDUCATION PROGRAM 78 In the educational / industry part of the ENFF, we support young filmmakers from Eastern and Southern Europe in their budding film careers. They are often visual artists and/or young filmmakers participating in our New Talents Competition and Short Films, Big Stories programs. These young authors seek constructive feedback from the audience or film professionals. Their reflections on the presented work in progress could be instrumental in the finishing stage of their project. The participants also often look for Dutch co-producers or want to learn more about the distribution system, and festival strategies. It is wonderful to observe how participants are open to professional feedback on their projects in development. After the presentation and feedback from the audience, we facilitate meetings with five Dutch film experts, including experienced directors, producers, editors, and consultants who provide one-on-one feedback sessions and help take these projects to the next level. In the previous editions of Pro Formula, each year three or four young filmmakers successfully presented their projects in development to the public and received input from Dutch experts. We follow up on their work and wait to be finished soon and screened at our ENFF editions.
81 In recent years, many filmmakers have been inspired by experimenting with archive material or using the archive as an inspiration, as a starting point to build a story. It’s interesting to see how each filmmaker finds a unique, original way to draw stories from archives and develops personal methods for using them. For the 15th edition of the ENFF, the education program has been developed within the thematic program Memory in Cinema (p.74), with a sub-focus on using archive material to tell a narrative. The program consists of film screenings and Masterclasses by two filmmakers: Otilia Babara from the Republic of Moldova and Biserka Suran from The Netherlands/Croatia. Their artistic, highly original approach to using archive material is quite different: Babara, in her debut feature-length film, builds the whole narrative out of found footage – home videos recorded and sent by mothers to their children and by children to their mothers. At the same time, Suran reconstructs film scenes based on her imaginary, personal archive and researched archive material from the official history of a country. USING, MAKING, RECONSTRUCTING ARCHIVE 79
82 In Scenes with My Father (The Netherlands, 2022, synopsis on p. 37), filmmaker Biserka Suran takes her father on a trip down memory lane in which she revives scenes from their country of birth, former Yugoslavia. Memories are reflected in cinematic decor sets in which they converse about nationality, identity, love, dreams, and regrets. “I wanted to make a film about the past, about moments that had already happened, about a country that disappeared, about nostalgia and longing. But how do you do that? How do you make a film about things you can’t see?” In this Masterclass, filmmaker Biserka Suran takes you on her film journey. Through the love letters from her parents, the use of archive material from the former Yugoslavia and the design of an abstract space as a means to enter the past. MASTERCLASS BY BISERKA SURAN Biserka Suran (Koper, Yugoslavia, 1989) is a Dutch-Croatian film director, living and working in Amsterdam. In 2015 she graduated as a documentary director from the Netherlands Film Academy with the short Allez, Viens!. Her debut film Scenes with My Father premiered at the IDFA festival in the Envision Competition in 2022 and won the award for Best Documentary at the Trieste Film Festival in Italy and the ‘FIPRESCI Award’ at the Beyond Borders festival in Greece. More info: www.biserkasuran.com 80
83 Otilia Babara, the director of Love Is Not an Orange (synopsis on p. 35) will be sharing her process of building a collective history using family archives. She radically changed her initial ideas and embraced the essence of the archives. In “Love is not an Orange” she gives space to the images, unveiling the story without the voiceover being the main guide. She will share her intentions of using film as a therapeutic medium and creating a safe space for Moldovan people to share their traumas. Otilia Babara is a documentary filmmaker from Moldova currently based in Brussels. She holds a degree in documentary filmmaking from the DocNomads European Master program (Belgium, Hungary, Portugal) and is a 2013 Berlinale Talents fellow. She is drawn to those who usually go unnoticed. Her films expose big wounds hidden in small details and she’s fascinated by untold stories of women. MASTERCLASS BY OTILIA BABARA 81 “Love Is Not an Orange” is her first feature documentary and it had its world premiere at the DOK Leipzig in 2022. Since then, it has been screened at the Vision du Reel and MoMA Doc Fortnight. The film received the Silver Eye Award for the Best East and Central European Documentary,the CEI Award at the Trieste Film Festival, and the Best Documentary Award at the Tirana International Film Festival.
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85 EEFFN - the Eastern European Film Festival Network brings together five film festivals dedicated to promoting and showcasing Eastern European cinema alongside one partner organisation. The primary objective is to enhance cooperation and collaboration between the member festivals in order to increase the visibility and impact of Eastern European Cinema across Europe. Created on 21 October 2023, the network is comprised of the following festivals and organizations: GoEast Film Festival (Wiesbaden, Germany), BEAST International Film Festival (Porto, Portugal), Eastern Neighbours Film Festival (The Hague, Netherlands), A l’Est Film Festival (Rouen, France), CinEast Film Festival (Luxembourg) and the EU Youth Cinema: Green Deal (Vienna, Austria). Through this initiative, the festivals will share best practices, programming strategies, and technical resources in order to enhance the quality of their respective events. They will jointly develop and implement initiatives such as film exchanges, talent development programs, and co-screenings to further promote Eastern European cinema and foster the growth of the industry in the region. The network is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and creativity in the film industry, and to providing a forum for dialogue and exchange among filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences from around the world. This collaboration will increase recognition and appreciation of the rich cultural heritage and film talent of Eastern Europe. By leveraging their collective expertise, resources, and knowledge, the festivals aim to provide a platform for emerging and established filmmakers from the region to showcase their work to wider audiences. EEFFN Award The Eastern European Film Festival Network Award will be given out annually to feature-length films that demonstrate exceptional artistry, innovation, and impact within the Eastern European film industry. Each festival nominates a film to a shortlis, competing for the overall award. The final vote is open to a jury made up of members from each festival, reflecting the collaborative and collective spirit of the network. Starting with the upcoming 2024 editions, the EEFFN Award will be presented through each festival within the network. The winning film will receive not only important recognition, but also a unique opportunity for screening and national distribution in the network’s member countries, which include Austria, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Portugal. The film will be granted promotional support through the partnering festivals – inclusion in their future programming, further enhancing the film’s reach and influence in the distribution and festival circuit. The ENFF has become part of the Eastern European Film Festival Network!
86 Every year, ENFF brings special musical guests who beautify the program and further present rich cultures of their countries to the Dutch audience. The opening musicians of this edition will be Nazar and Iryna Gnativ. They come from the western region of Ukraine, originating from neighbouring villages near Sokal. Growing up, both of their families had a profound passion for singing, and it became a cherished tradition during their gatherings. As their love blossomed, Nazar would often bring a songbook to test if Iryna shared his musical soul and could be his harmonious companion in the years to come. To support their families financially, they made the life-changing decision to emigrate to the Netherlands six years ago. Despite the geographical distance from their homeland, they remained steadfast in their devotion to Ukrainian music, and their voices continued to blend in beautiful harmony. Nazar, additionally, serves as the Cantor at the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Rijswijk, while both he and Iryna actively participate as singers in the vocal ensemble Chervoni Korali. 82 MUSIC AT ENFF
87 This 15th edition will be also enhanced by the performances of the Ukrainian choir Chervoni Korali (meaning “red corals”, traditional jewellery from Ukraine). The vocalists of the ensemble are united by their love for Ukrainian songs and enjoy promoting Ukrainian traditions and culture. The ensemble consists of singers who live and work in The Hague and its surroundings. Twice a month, they accompany the Holy Ukrainian Catholic mass at the Bonifatius Church in Rijswijk. Chervoni Korali and their conductor Nataliya Malahnova actively participate in art projects, festivals, cultural events, competitions, and diplomatic gatherings to promote Ukrainian singing culture in the Netherlands and abroad. More info: www.chervonikorali.nl 83 CHERVONI KORALI
88 Next to films and debates, we create a space to gather, talk, enjoy, and learn about the region. Join us for a wine tour and taste quality wines from countries that are also part of the film festival. During this wine tasting you will get an impression of what the region has to offer. In addition, you will learn more about several indigenous grape varieties, still unfamiliar in the rest of Europe. Our Eastern neighbours do not just have cinema that is growing more popular, but also a centuries-old wine culture, which is now flourishing. Steady festival partner AndereWijn is a wine webshop stocked with many different wines from the neighbouring Eastern European countries. Every year they taste hundreds of wines, out of which they choose the best. Visit their website: www.anderewijn.nl WINE TASTING Filmhuis Den Haag | Studio A | free admission 86
89 The Eastern Neighbours Film Festival finds it important to support women’s efforts in the Balkans to be independent and we added to our welcoming bags beautiful woollen, handcrafted house slippers called locally priglavke or pape. And as they would say in the Balkans – “wear them in good health”! They are knitted by Hatidza Sabljica, the owner of the shop Ketar in Sarajevo, as well as women from the city Visoko and nearby villages, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who practise different kinds of handiwork. By doing so, they treasure and keep alive old crafts that are slowly disappearing. By buying their souvenirs, the Festival wants to salute the women of the Balkans who for centuries have practised their intelligent way of expressing their artistic talent and creative ideas, enabling themselves to be financially independent, starting “small” businesses that empower their position in society. OUR FESTIVAL WELCOME BAG GIFT SUPPORTS THE EXPRESSION OF WOMEN 87
90 by Milcho Manchevski, North Macedonia, Denmark, Netherlands, Croatia, 2022 Academy Award nominee Milcho Manchevski returns with another piece of art to provoke and surprise. Two couples go down the rabbit hole of unconventional erotic relationships. 3 DIALOGUES ABOUT THE FUTURE by Alina Manolache, Romania, 2022. A PIGEON’S SONG by Eneos Carka, Albania, Belgium, 2021. BABAJANJA by Ante Zlatko Stolica, Croatia, 2022. BRANKA by Akos K. Kovacs, Hungary, 2021. SUGAR FREE by Jasmina Bilic, The Netherlands, 2022. Guest: Jasmina Bilic, director ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR 02 June 2023 KRITERION, AMSTERDAM 21 October 2023 RIALTO, AMSTERDAM THE WINNER OF THE ENFF COMPETITION & OTHER GREAT SHORTS KAYMAK 88
91 by Jasna Nanut, Croatia, 2023 A black comedy about a middle-aged man who is too afraid to confess to his wife that he has fallen for another woman. He turns into a ticking bomb that might explode right into his face. by Georgi Bogdanov, Boris Missirkov, Bulgaria, Denmark, Czech Republic, Germany, Croatia, 2021 What did it mean to own a motor car in the East? Fond memories, true love and bizarre anecdotes combined with unique archive footage make this film a fascinating study of socialist car culture past and present. ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR 31 October 2023 LOUIS HARTLOOPER COMPLEX, UTRECHT 29 October 2023 DE WITT, DORDRECHT THE CARS WE DROVE INTO CAPITALISM SEVENTH HEAVEN 89
92 by Milos Pusic, Serbia, 2022 A group of illegal construction workers left without money and basic rights, fight their bosses with all they have left, building a hoax “Potemkin’s village” to con a development fund. Close to the deadline, it’s a fight for life and death. by Teona Strugar Mitevska, North Macedonia, Denmark, Belgium, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2022 A middle-aged couple at a blind, matchmaking event. Full of incredible twists, humour and human warmth, set thirty years after the war in Sarajevo, the film deals with a lasting trauma and its aftermath. Guest: Teona Strugar Mitevska, director ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR 3 November 2023 DE BALIE, AMSTERDAM 5 November 2023 KINO, ROTTERDAM THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD WORKING CLASS HEROES 90
93 by by Tudor Giurgiu, Romania, 2023 In the chaos of the 1989 Romanian Revolution, civilians, the Army, the Police and Ceausescu's Secret Service, the Securitate, were pitted against each other to control the narrative as Communism came to an end. by Anna Kazejak, Poland, 2022 A comedy-drama about two couples with kids who went on a traditional holiday on the Danish Island of Bornholm. An incident between children will trigger a wave of crisis in their relationships. ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR ENFF ON TOUR 12 November 2023 LAAKTHEATER, THE HAGUE 2 December 2023 LOUIS HARTLOOPER COMPLEX, UTRECHT FUCKING BORNHOLM LIBERTATE 91
94 AND A GREAT THANK YOU TO ALL THE EMBASSIES AD OTHER PARTNERS WHO GENEROUSLY CONTRIBUTE TO ENFF AND HELP TO MAKE THIS FESTIVAL A SUCCESS! PARTNERS AND SPONSORS ALL FILMS AT ENFF HAVE ENGLISH SUBTITLES TICKETS: WWW.EASTERNNEIGHBOURSFILMFESTIVAL.NL 92
95 Festival Director Rada Sesic Managing Director Kostana Banovic Production Iro Karampampa Programming Rada Sesic (Artistic Director) Stefan Pavlovic (New Talents Competition) Film Coordination Oana Stupariu Technical Department Milan Krstanovic Igor Lesic PR & Social Media Nika Cimpersek Bukinac Nina Rakic Hospitality Milan Krstanovic Design Anita Karabasic Website Dunja Nesovic Jessie Connell Website Design Maisa Imamovic Photography Mladen Pikulic Trailer Igor Lesic (Festival Trailer) Stefan Pavlovic (NTC Trailer) Volunteers Coordination Bastiaan Maas OnTour Coordination Paula Chang Catalogue Zeljka Ferencic (Chief Editor) Rada Sesic Elsa Court Oana Stupariu Tatjana Lisjak Nika Cimpersek Bukinac Mara Georgescu Stefan Pavlovic Monika Lostakova Production Support John Bosters Mara Georgescu Isidora Jurisic Intern Weiyi Guo ENFF TEAM Eastern Neighbours Film Festival is a project produced by Stichting artTrace, Utrecht, The Netherlands COLOFON
96 A ROOM OF MY OWN ALL MEN BECOME BROTHERS AVITAMINOSIS AWOHALI – THE EAGLE BIG PHAT PARTY BREAD AND SALT BY A SHARP KNIFE CHRISTINA CRISS CROSS DESERTERS DIVAS EL SHATT – A BLUEPRINT FOR UTOPIA FALLING FRAN AND VERKA; OR A USUAL DAY IN AN ABANDONED VILLAGE FRIGIDANCE FUCKING BORNHOLM GRANNY’S SEXUAL LIFE HOPE HOTEL PHANTOM HOTEL PULA IVAN’S LAND KAYMAK KING LEAR: HOW WE LOOKED FOR LOVE DURING THE WAR LGBT_SLO_1984 LIBERATION IN 26 PICTURES LIBERTATE LIQUID BREAD LOST COUNTRY 9 30 50 31 51 10 11 62 41 32 33 34 52 42 68 12 43 53 136 14 36 63 69 15 44 16 FILM INDEX
97 LOVE IS NOT AN ORANGE MALDITA. A LOVE SONG TO SARAJEVO MAMMOTH ONE OF US ORDINARY FAILURES ROUTE-3 SCENES WITH MY FATHER SEVENTH HEAVEN SMART GIRLS SUGAR FREE SUMMER TO COME THE BALLAD OF PIARGY THE CARS WE DROVE INTO CAPITALISM THE CREMATOR THE DIARY OF PAULINA P. THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD THE INVESTIGATOR THE LAND OF ALIENS THE LAND WITHIN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CORNER IN THE WORLD THE TRIP TINY SUMMER TRILOGY TRUTH UNTIL ALL IS RESOLVED WAKE ME WAKING UP IN SILENCE WOMEN DO CRY WORKING CLASS HEROES 35 64 54 18 17 70 377 71 45 19 20 38 28 26 21 39 55 22 56 57 58 46 59 23 47 65 24 FILM INDEX
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