THE ODDLY DEATH OF MARKO ŽIVKOVIĆ
Niko Vrabec; 14’32”; FKVKZ Zaprešić; Croatia
“The truth is, believe it or not, this story from Donja Mahala.” Which one? See for yourself…
“Well shot and directed, the script is well thought through. The movie has a natural flow and pacing. In the beginning, there are hints of Wes Anderson’s cinematography and aesthetics, but they are excellently incorporated into local humour. The story has depth and progression, with classic narrative composition. The sound could have been recorded better, which is something the authors might work on in the future.”
NO ONE
Grupa autora / Group of authors; 9’30”; IES Rodanas; Spain
School life is interrupted due to decisions that have nothing to do with the education of boys and girls.
“Masterful use of cinematic language when retelling events. Excellent acting and well shot gradual destruction of the set adds to the weight of the situation in which the characters found themselves.”
UNDER THE BRIDGE
Andrej Tomin; 10’47”; Northern Sheep Cinema; Serbia
Sitting on the river bank under the bridge, two teenagers recall their first hangout and the past, in an attempt to comprehend the change in their relationship.
“A lovely story about two people. Visually excellent, actors are natural and sincere, music complements and rounds the whole story up.”
THE TAPE
Pablo Iranzo Pineda; 8’13”; Independent; Spain
Enrique is alone at home, until someone arrives unexpectedly early. The situation takes an unexpected turn when he realizes that the person in his house is not who he claims to be.
“Interesting and sound realization of the film on assumptions and prejudices in life.”
MAINADES
Eleni Papastergiou; 15’00”; Independent; Greece
In Greek mythology, maenads, Ancient Greek: μαινάδες [mainades] were nymphs, the female partners of god Dionysus. The word μαινάς comes up in Homeric epic where is associated with mania. Their characteristic was the ecstatic violence, the beyond reason, hyperactive and violent behavior.
“Painful to watch, but that is just a compliment to the film which has managed to portray in such a brutal way the unimaginable conditions in which, unfortunately, many women still live in today’s world. It also addresses the inertia of the society and normalization of violence against women. All this leads to the conclusion that the only solution – although coincidental at first – is murder. The choice of black-and-white aesthetics adds to the bleakness and cruelty of life with a violent man and leaves the sense of emptiness and disassociation. Excellently acted and directed.”
AFFECTUM
Buğra Özenç; 3’13”; Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Highschool; Turkey
A girl enters an audition and gives a performance.
“Excellent acting elevates the entire movie.”
WITH LOVE FROM BRATISLAVA
Martin Zadravec; 14’00”; Blank_filmski inkubator; Croatia
Eighteen-year-old Martin spends his holidays on a family trip to Bratislava. During their stay there, he is forced to share his room with his older brother Aleks. In the city, Martin buys postcards to his crush, Maria, but when she stops responding to his calls, he finds comfort in brotherly love.
“Brotherly love often has negative connotations and is associated with topics of roughness and aggression, but anyone with siblings knows that it can be very gentle and is desperately needed in difficult life situations. The film is a bit too long for the message it tries to convey, but this is compensated by excellent “natural” acting and repetition of the scene from the room which places the two brothers into an intimate space where they share their troubles and joys.”
KKIEV
Bruno Rašić; 5’24”; Academy of Dramatic Arts Zagreb; Croatia
The janitor helps the kidnappers in?
“Impressive use of “one-shot” technique, the choreography of the actors and the acting itself are well executed. Atmosphere and the framing emphasise the seriousness of the crime that had been committed and add to the anxiety gripping the protagonist, and the much-anticipated ending of the film is left to interpretation.”
WHO DID YOU DREAM OF?
Frane Pekica, Matija Restović; 4’35”; Gimnazija Pula; Croatia
During a New Year’s Eve party a group of friends talk about their various problems and opinions.
“Good dialogues, acting leaves room for improvement and an unexpected twist.”
SCHOOL DAZE
Group; 7’11”; Liceo Artistico “Nervi Severini” Ravenna; Italy
Dreams, nightmares, desires of a first-grade class before the arrival of the math teacher…
“A clever way of portraying different experiences of time spent waiting. Acting is excellently performed, cuts from one “story” into the next are consistent and don’t disrupt the continuity of the film as a whole. The lack of dialogue, which is essentially replaced by noise, adds to the atmosphere of boredom, contemplation and wandering thoughts.”