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      Eastern Neighbours Film Festival (ENFF) began in The Netherlands in 2008 with the idea to offer Dutch and international audiences a unique glimpse into the cinema of their neighbors from Eastern and Southern Europe. This annual event presents the most recent, exciting, and thought‐provoking films, from countries with small, but often powerful film industries, that… Read more: New Talents Open Call
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      Join us for the Film Marathon, a new concept in which we merge two components, Short Films, Big Stories, and New Talents Competition into a whole-day screening of short films!

Once We Were Good for You

Branko Schmidt is a veteran of Croatian cinema with dozens of successful films in his filmography. Sharp, critical, brave and eloquent in its cinematic expression, he depicts in his latest film the destiny of Croatian war veterans and their dissatisfaction with their social status. The film won the Golden Arena for the Best Screenplay at Pula festival and brilliant Rene Bitorajac won the main award as the Best Actor. 

Synopsis

25 years after the Croatian War of Independence, decorated war hero Dinko is bitterly disappointed with Croatia and life. His family has left him, and the country he fought for is plagued by poverty, corruption and emigration. When his fellow veterans stage a protest demanding the museum that the Government promised them, Dinko gets involved. Soon however young fascists join the protest and the violence escalates.

A BILI SMO VAM DOBRI

Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2021 | 72 min

DIRECTOR: Branko Schmidt

PRODUCTION: Stanislav Babic – Telefilm; Kazalisno-filmska udruga Oktavijan

CAST: Rene Bitorajac, Slaven Knezovic, Rakan Rushaidat, Goran Navojec

SCREENPLAY: Sandra Antolic, Ognjen Svilicic, Branko Schmidt

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dario Hacek

EDITING: Hrvoje Mrsic

SCREENING: Thursday 24.11. / 21:30h / Zaal 2 & Friday 25.11. / 20:45h / Zaal 5

The screening will be followed by Q&A with director Branko Schmidt. Dutch Premiere

Director’s bio

Branko Schmidt (Osijek, 1957) graduated in film and TV directing at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. He is an awarded director and has won numerous acknowledgments. He has directed many feature and documentary films and TV series. Select filmography: Sokol Did Not Like Him (1988), Đuka Begović (1991), Vukovar: The Way Home (1994), Christmas in Vienna (1997), The Old Oak Blues (2000), Queen of the Night (2001), The Melon Route (2006), Metastases (2009), Vegetarian Cannibal (2012), Ungiven (2015), Agape (2017)

Festivals & Awards (selection)

Pula Film Festival, 2021 – Golden Arena for Best Screenplay (Sandra Antolic, Ognjen Svilicic, Branko Schmidt); Golden Arena for Best Actor (Rene Bitorajac) | Mostar Film Festival, 2021 | FilmFestival Cottbus – Festival of East European Cinema, 2021 | International Film Festival of India, Goa 2021