I watched the movie during the special screening in Toronto-24.Mar.2019. Overall the movie is good, in fact very good but not excellent. However, considering the very low budget and very limited production team this movie deserves review mark 10 from 10.
Excellent achievements:
- Emotional storyline which is generating impressions long after the screening. Wonderful control of the story during back and forward of the developing flow. Final message that is provoking further visualization, discussions and sustainable debate.
- Balanced view at the historical and today's Balkan situation with clear attempting for careful approach bringing to the viewer the differences between the positions of the different ethnical groups.
- Wonderful wide angle footage with mastered control of day light, assuming 16 mm lens on steady camera. Clearly the cameraman did master peaces in this regard. Very successful indoor footages with impressive details on old monastery. Stunning compositions on footages from normal 50 mm focal distance up to 35 or 24mm.
- The best scene-at the cemetery the main character is in internal dilemma to which funeral his presence belongs or is welcomed.
Room for improvements:
- Although the monologues of Sultana (Joana Popovska) are crucial to the storyline, my opinion is that in some moments are too long. Maybe it was opportunity to increase the effectiveness of her messages, especially the length of her moaning during the funeral scene.
- I am assuming, the main attempt during shooting some of the footages in confine space was to bring impressions of busyness of the subjects but using 100-135 mm focal distance on hand held camera moving on stairs brought to much shaking - effect that diverted the attention.
I am impatiently waiting for the next deliverables with personal expectation for huge artistic achievement from this production team, especially from the proven talent of the director and writer Jani Bojadzi.
