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