With “a poetic, intense opening that recalls ... Tarkovsky,” it is the story of Kukumi, Mara and Hasan, three patients “liberated” from a mental institution when the UN arrives, who wander the chaos of postwar Kosovo like lost children looking for a home. Arriving at the village of Hasan’s brother, they find a less than enthusiastic welcome but move into an abandoned building and set up housekeeping. Though what the film has to say about freedom, anarchy, love, hate, brutality, xenophobia and acceptance may be familiar; and though the device of viewing the insanity of war and post-war landscapes through the eyes of the legitimately insane is a long-standing one; the film’s language is new and fresh, and seems, like the hapless trio itself, to be attempting to create a new tradition from the rubble. Described variously as “enigmatic, mournful, darkly comic,” and “lyrically surreal,” praised for its visual originality, its “disturbingly pessimistic reflection on the meaning of freedom” and its statement via metaphor, the film, bolstered by a terrific musical score, was a prize winner at both the Sarajevo and Venice film festivals. Please join us in welcoming a new tradition – Kosovo cinema.
Video ID: 40
Legacy Video ID: 40
Release Date: Aug. 24, 2005
Genre: Drama
Country: Serbia
Languages: EN_SUBTITLED, SQ_NATIVE
Runtime: 1h 47m
Credits
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Producer: Gani Mehmetaj
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Director: Isa Oosja
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Kukumi: Luan Jaha
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Hasan: Donat Qosja
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Mara: Anisa Ismaili
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Gafurri: Shkumbin Istrefi
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Line Producer: Ismail Peshku
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Huligan: Astrit Kabashi
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Zarifja: Yllka Gashi
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Cinematography: Menduh Nushi
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Production Manager: Ilir Gjocaj
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Sound Re-recording Mixer : Davor Omerza
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Assistant Camera: Ivica Katona
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Kosovo Film, Pristina: Production Companies
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Production Assistant: Yll Citaku
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Assistant Camera: Vlado Loncaric
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Gaffer: Sime Knezevic
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Production Assistant: Bujar Babuni
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Location Manager: Bujar Babuni
Awards
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2010: (Winner) Sarajevo Film Festival Jury Prize
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2010: (Winner) Venice Film Festival Regione del Veneto Award
Film Festivals