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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

The Uncle

This dark psychological thriller with elements of farse has premiered at Karlovy Vary IFF and immediately received a Special Jury Mention. The debut feature film by two young Croatian directors is reminiscent of Haneke’s work, masterfully balancing between the grotesque, black comedy and the tension that can be “cut with a knife”.

Synopsis

It’s the end of the 80s in Yugoslavia, and a family of three welcomes their beloved gastarbeiter uncle back from Germany to celebrate Christmas together. The family gathers around the table and seems to be enjoying a feast of traditional dishes. The conversation is soon interrupted by the ringing of a smartphone. It becomes apparent that the situation is not what it seems. What is happening, will this Christmas stage turn out not so “merry” and will the outbreak of tension lead to chaos? The Uncle deconstructs the typical holiday situation by amplifying false happiness, alternately dancing between shame, fear and embarrassment. The film skilfully hides the motives that lie beneath the surface and make viewers wait for its end on the edge of their seats.

STRIC

Croatia, Serbia | 2022 | 104 min

DIRECTOR / SCREENPLAY: Davic Kapac, Andrija Mardesic

PRODUCTION: Ivan Kelava, Tomislav Vujic – Eclectica; Sense Production

CAST: Predrag Miki Manojlovic, Ivana Roscic, Goran Bogdan, Roko Sikavica

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Milos Jacimovic

EDITING: Tomislav Stojanovic

SCREENING: Saturday 26 November / 14:30 hours / Zaal 5 / Dutch Premiere

Festivals & Awards (selection)

Karlovy Vary IFF, 2022 – Jury Special Mention I Pula FF, 2022 – Best Script, Best Costume Design I Dunav FF, 2022 – Grand Prix I Montenegro FF, 2022 – Grand Prix, Best Actor I LIFFE, 2022 – Best Actress, Second Award for Directing I Vancouver IFF, 2022

Director’s statement

The Uncle forces the family to be happy, day after day, just so he can be emotionally fulfilled. It is the infinite repetition of pursuing perfection, all these elements of tradition and family routines become devices of torture and abuse. Laughter and absurdity, which come from ‘light-hearted’ everyday situations, are transformed into unpleasantness and horror not only for the characters but also for the audience.

Directors’ bios

Andrija Mardesic is a Croatian film and TV author. He has successfully directed projects in various genres: experimental and music videos, documentaries, and promos. Still, his focus is a cinema where he proved himself with a series of short films. Iris (2009), Two All Alone (2015), and Steppe Fox (2019) stood out at festivals in Croatia and abroad. He co-directed omnibus Short Circuits for Croatian national broadcaster HRT in 2013. As a screenwriter, Andrija co-wrote the medium-length horror film Zagorje Specialty and the short children’s drama Party, which he co-wrote with David Kapac for HRT and the European Broadcasting Union. Andrija also works as a storyline on the biggest TV projects in Croatia and he directed a TV drama #Don’t Tell Anyone for HRT. The Uncle is his debut feature. Andrija is developing several projects, including the next feature film with David Kapac.

David Kapac is a Croatian screenwriter, director and creative producer. His medium-length horror film Zagorje Specialty was screened at festivals in Croatia and abroad. After graduating, David focused on working in television, achieving seven-figure viewership in Croatia and the Region for the shows he ran either as a director or creative producer. In 2017 he returned to film, co-writing the screenplay for a short film Party that represented Croatia in 2018 as part of the project ‘Drama for Children’ of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The Uncle is his debut feature.