Variety Critics’ Choice: Europe Now! 2009 / Buick Riviera / Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, USA 2008
The ethnic hatred behind the 1990s Balkan bloodshed spark to life in startling fashion in this artistically ambitious psychological thriller. When two Bosnian immigrants, a Muslim and a Serb, meet by chance in America on a deserted North Dakota highway, the stage is set for some insidious mind games.
The ethnic hatred behind the 1990s Balkan bloodshed sparks to life in startling fashion in Croatian writer-director Rusinovic’s artistically ambitious psychological thriller, based on a novel by Miljenko Jergovic. When two Bosnian immigrants, a Muslim and a Serb, meet by chance in America on a deserted North Dakota highway, the stage is set for some insidious mind games. Melancholy, out-of-work Hasan (Slavko Stimac) prizes his 1963 Buick Riviera, a car that symbolizes America’s elusive promise for him. However, when his Buick slips off the icy highway, Hasan is aided by a tough-talking Serb (Leon Lucev) in a Land Rover, who shares his own life story. Hasan’s rescuer later shows up on his doorstep, effortlessly charming Hasan’s wife in English while baiting him in Bosnian. Ultimately, Hasan makes a drastic move to recover his self-respect.
86 min / Color, 35 mm
Director Goran Rušinović
/ Screenplay Goran Rušinović, Miljenko Jergović
/ Dir. of Photography Igor Martinović
/ Music Branislav Živković
/ Editor Vlado Gojun, Miran Miošić
/ Producer Boris T. Matić, Kate Barry
/ Production Propeler Film
/ Cast Slavko Štimac, Leon Lučev, Aimee Klein
/ Contact Propeler Film
Propeler Film
Savska 25, 10 000, Zagreb
Croatia
Phone: +385 1 482 9477
Fax: +385 1 459 3691
E-mail: [email protected]
Goran Rušinović
Film Director
Stefanie Zeitler
Distributor
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