Anica (Anica Dobra) lives in New Belgrade, a dreary district of skyscrapers and concrete. She is the mistress of Milutin (Feda Stojanovic), an influential criminal in the district who owns a solarium and lives on protection money. Anica knows that she doesn’t want to grow old here. Neither love nor life offer a future. It is a grey winter day and Anica has a plan: With the money from Milutin’s safe she wants to get on a plane in the evening to leave the country for good. The film tells this one and all decisive day, because nothing will be the same in the evening as it was the morning before. Anica says goodbye to her friends and relatives with small gifts and gestures, without them noticing her final departure. She wants a perfect farewell to her imperfect life. But the day is full of surprises.
Stanislav, a young man from Anica’s neighbourhood, also works for Milutin. He does not live without danger. Nevertheless, he is the good soul in his neighborhood, caring for his aging mother (Miljana Draciv) and Ivana, the autistic daughter of Milutin (Hanna Schwamborn). Stanislav loves Anica, he fell in love with her even as a child, and he feels her plan to leave. Afraid of losing her, he goes all out and confesses his love for her for the first time that day. Anica is taken by surprise, yet she allows Stanislav to accompany her on her little farewells. In the course of the day the two get closer and closer and Anica returns his feelings. Her plan falters. Is there perhaps a common future in Serbia or will Stanislav accompany them? Both have to decide by the evening.
2008 | Feature film | 105 min. | 35 mm
Production COIN FILM
Co-production Art & Popcorn / Serbia, KPG / Austria, Studio Arkadena / Slovenia
World premiere Berlinale 2008 / Panorama
World Sales The Matchfactory
Cast
Anica Dobra
Vuk Kostic
Fedja Stojanovic
Milena Dravic
Hanna Schwamborn
u.a.
TEAM
Script/Directing Stefan Arsenijevic
Camera Simon Tansek
Production Designer Volker Schaefer
Costume Veronika Albert, Nebosja Lipanovic
Editing Andrew Bird
Sound Design Andreas Hildebrandt
Music Naked Lunch
Commissioning Editor Anke Krause/WDR
Producers Herbert Schwering, Miroslav Mogorovic
Co-producers Gabriele Kranzelbinder, Janez Kovic
AWARDS
2009 Silk Road IFF, Turkey / Best Director
2008 IFF Tbilisi, Georgia / Best Film
2008 Serbian Film Prize IBIS
2008 Crossing Europe Linz / Audience Award
2008 GoEast Festival Wiesbaden / Best Director
2008 IFF Sofia / Best Director
