Willow
Milcho Manchevski is a director from the Balkans who always manages to surprise the world of cinema with each of his new works. He is best known for his debut “Before the Rain” which won a Golden Lion in Venice, an Independent Spirit Award and an Oscar nomination in 1995. In his latest film he depicts motherhood across time with a full range of experimentation, poetry and emotion.
Three women cope with issues of the control over their bodies, tradition and adoption. As the director points out: “Our characters are faced with moral and personal dilemmas that end up redefining their roles in their communities. They have not set out to change the world or society, but their search for love, trust and motherhood makes them unlikely heroines. On the surface, the beliefs and lifestyles of our characters in the Middle Ages and in contemporary Macedonia could not be more different”. Three stories set in North Macedonia – one medieval, two contemporary – in a small city of Prilep, explore themes of love, trust and motherhood. A tale of three tales – all built on the very essence of love.
VRBA
North Macedonia, Hungary, Belgium, Albania | 2019 | 101 min
DIRECTOR: Milcho Manchevski
PRODUCTION: Banana Film, Scala Productions; Pioneer Pictures, Saga Film, Tirana Film Institute
CAST: Sara Klimoska, Natalija Teodosieva, Kamka Tocinovski, Nikola Risteski
SCREENPLAY: Milcho Manchevski
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tamas Dobos
EDITING: Nicolas Gaster
Saturday 23.4. / 19:00h / Zaal 2
DUTCH PREMIERE
FESTIVALS & AWARDS (SELECTION)
Fantasporto, Portugal 2020 – Grand Prize | Cinequest Film Festival, USA 2020 – Best Film | Raindance Film Festival, UK 2020 – Best Director | Mostra de Valencia – Cinema del Mediterrani, 2020 – Best Director | Rome Film Fest, 2020 – World Premiere | Stony Brook Film Festival, New York 2021 – Best Film