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    • NTC Award Ceremony
      New Talent Competition gives young filmmakers from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe the opportunity to present their outstanding debut or second film to the public. Join us on Sunday 1 December at 19h
    • Music at ENFF
      The Eastern Neighbours Film Festival welcomes special musical guests each year to enrich our program. For this 16th edition, we’re thrilled to present two talented young musicians: guitarist Antonio Peršak (CR) and violinist İdil Yunkuş (TR). Together, they will perform a traditional Balkan dance and folk song, highlighting the beauty of this music through the… Read more: Music at ENFF
    • Masterclass with Janez Burger
      This masterclass presents a unique opportunity to explore Burger's distinct storytelling style, genre use, and exploration of contemporary social issues. Join us on Saturday 30 November at 17h - Room 5
    • Panel Discussion: Exploration of individual and collective memory in cinema
      Panel Discussion: Exploration of individual and collective memory in cinema on Friday 29 November at 18h

Great Wall of China

DirectorAleksandra Odic
ProducerAleksandra Odic – Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (DFFB)
WriterAleksandra Odic
CastElena Matic, Tina Keserovic, Faketa Salihbegovic-Avdagic, Mugdim Avdagic, Anja Stanic, Vanesa Glodjo
EditorBranka Pavlovic
CameraKatharina Diessner
SoundJonathan Ritzel, Ilija Djordjevic
MusicMicha Kaplan
Original TitleKINESKI ZID
Year2017
Length36 min
CountryGermany
SubtitlesEnglish
SectionShort Films, Big Stories
Focus: Cinema by Migrants, Cinema on Migrants
ScreeningSaturday 9 November | 13:15 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag
Saturday 9 November | 16:30 hours | Theater & Filmhuis Dakota
Sunday 10 November | 12:30 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag

A compelling story from today’s Bosnia where the temptation to migrate is omnipresent among the young generation. Screenings will be followed by Q&A with the director Aleksandra Odić. Dutch Premiere

Synopsis

A family gathering in the Bosnian countryside brings joy and pleasure to almost everyone. Maja, an 8-year-old girl is the single family member that is noticing change is happening, while all the grownups are blind to it. Through a mix of dreamy sequences and bright daylight, Maja’s realisation of her rebellious aunt Ljilja’s next steps are revealed. Ljilja, an arty teen, is simply not cut for the post-conflict reality in the Bosnian countryside. She regards individuality and self-expression, the values that are not highly appreciated in her surroundings. While she’s getting ready to change that forever, Maja stands as the only witness of those intentions.

Director’s bio

Aleksandra Odic was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a child she emigrated to Germany with her family due to the war. She studied film directing at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb). In 2012 she was a fellow at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin and in 2014 she was a participant of the Sarajevo Talents Program at the Sarajevo Film Festival in Bosnia. She has directed six films and her latest film “The boy in the chequered shirt” had its German premiere at the national Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis 2019 in Saarbrücken.

Festivals & Awards (selection)

Sarajevo Film Festival, 2017 – International Premiere | Berlinale, 2018 – Perspektive Deutsches Kino | China Women’s Film Festival, Beijing 2018 | Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival, New York City, 2018 – Golden Apple Jury Award for Best Short Film | Vancouver International Film Festival 2018 | Motovun Film Festival, 2018 | Molodist International Film Festival, Kyiv 2018 | First Frame International Film Festival, East Sarajevo 2018 – Best Short Film