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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

May Labour Day

Pjer Zalica is back with his new film that officially closed the last Sarajevo Film Festival and was a huge success. Well-known Bosnian actors (Jasna Zalica, Emir Hadzihafizbegovic, Admir Glamocak), as well as actors from Northern Macedonia (Labina Mitevska) and Serbia (Boris Isakovic) interpreted their complex characters in a subtle and captivating way.

Synopsis

After having lived in Germany for ten years, Armin returns to Sarajevo with his newlywed German wife. He wants to surprise his father, Fudo, who doesn’t know he got married. However, the lock on the door has been changed and his father is not there. Shockingly, the neighbours tell him that Fudo has been arrested on war crimes charges. While all this is happening, the neighbourhood is preparing for May 1st, the labour day celebrations and everyone is busy arranging food and drinks. They do not want to accept that Fudo is a war criminal. Armin is determined to get to the bottom of it and digs up  the truth about what really happened.

PRAZNIK RADA

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro | 2022 | 113 min

DIRECTOR: Pjer Zalica

PRODUCTION: Aida Huseinovic, Rusmir Efendic, Pjer Zalica – Association FORUM; Propeler Film, Sisters and Brother Mitevski, Backroom Production, Bas celik, ABA Film

CAST: Muhamed Hadzovic, Emir Hadzihafizbegovic, Jasna Zalica, Admir Glamocak, Boris Isakovic, Labina Mitevska

SCREENPLAY: Pjer Zalica

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Almir Djikoli

EDITING: Pjer Zalica

SCREENING: Friday 25 November / 18:15h & Sunday 27 November / 15:30h / Zaal 5

The screening will be followed by Q&A with director Pjer Zalica and actress Jasna Zalica. Dutch Premiere

Director’s statement

“May Labour Day“ is a film that I hoped I did not have to make. This film is the final one in a trilogy on war-time trauma. I thought after “Fuse” that I would not have the need to tell these stories anymore. However, society has not recovered yet and things that I believed would happen did not happen. I will probably die the naïve person that I am; this seems to be my destiny. I still believe we are all equal everywhere in the world, and that we are all brothers and sisters.

Director’s bio

Pjer Žalica is a scriptwriter, director, producer, and editor born in Sarajevo, 1964. He teaches directing and scriptwriting at the Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts. He is a Member of EFA and his films (Fuse, Days and Hours, Focus, Grandma, etc) have been shown at many festivals such as: Cannes, Toronto, Locarno, London, Tribeca NYC, and have won more than 50 awards including: EFA Discovery Prix, Fassbinder – Spec. Mention; EFA Annual Award Best Documentary; Silver Leopard Locarno IFF; Sarajevo FF. “May Labour Day” is his fourth feature film. 

Festivals & Awards (selection)

Sarajevo Film Festival, 2022 – Closing Film