Amar and Luna are a young couple in love, but their lives begin to change when Amar is dismissed from work and, with the help of an old buddy from the army, gets a job as a computer teacher in a secluded community of orthodox Muslims. The second feature film by Jasmila Žbanić, holder of Berlin’s Golden Bear for her film Grbavica, is well supported by excellent performances from Zrinka Cvitešić, Leon Lučev and member of the Grand Jury at this year’s KVIFF Mirjana Karanović.
In Bosnian, na putu means to be on the way somewhere, but it also has a spiritual meaning reflecting the quest for one’s inner self, or for a person who will make an important life decision. At the start of the film we meet a couple, Amar and Luna, who are on the same wavelength, travelling the same path. They love each other and long for a child. However, their paths start to diverge drastically when they have to make new decisions, both as a couple and as individuals. Major changes occur when Amar loses his job and meets Bahrija, an old friend from the army. The latter, an orthodox Muslim, offers Amar a well-paid job as a computer teacher at a summer camp which turns out to be a secluded Wahhabi commune. Luna doesn’t like the look of Bahrija or his burqa-clad wife. But it is the latter who becomes Luna’s guide through this alien camp situated by a lake in idyllic natural surroundings, where everyone addresses each other as brother and sister, where there are no cigarettes, alcohol or mobile phones. The film’s director handed the role of Bahrija’s wife to the fine actress Mirjana Karanović, a member of the Grand Jury at this year’s KVIFF, with whom she also worked on the film Grbavica.
100 min / Color, 35 mm
Director Jasmila Žbanić
/ Screenplay Jasmila Žbanić
/ Dir. of Photography Christine A. Maier
/ Music Brano Jakubović
/ Editor Niki Mossböck
/ Producer Damir Ibrahimović, Bruno Wagner, Barbara Albert, Karl Baumgartner, Raimond Goebel, Leon Lučev
/ Production Deblokada
/ Cast Zrinka Cvitešić, Leon Lučev, Ermin Bravo, Mirjana Karanović, Marija Köhn, Nina Violić, Sebastian Cavazza, Jasna Ornela Bery, Izudin Bajrović
/ Contact Aerofilms, The Match Factory
/ Distributor Aerofilms
Jasmila Žbanić (b. 1974, Sarajevo) studied at Sarajevo’s Academy of Dramatic Arts in the department for stage and film direction. She began as a puppet actress and she also has experience working in Lee Delong’s actors’ workshop. In 1997 she was involved in the founding of the Deblokada artists’ association, with which she collaborates to this day. She has made a number of documentaries, short films and videos which have screened at many prestigious festivals and exhibitions. Her Red Rubber Boots (Crvene gumene čizme, 2000) was presented in the documentary film competition at the 35th Karlovy Vary IFF; other noteworthy films include the short documentary Images from the Corner (Slike sa ugla, 2003) and the episode "Birthday” ("Rodjendan”, 2005) from the omnibus Lost and Found. Her feature debut Grbavica won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale in 2006.
Aerofilms
Milady Horákové 383/79, 170 00, Praha 7
Czech Republic
Phone: +420 224 947 566
E-mail: [email protected]
The Match Factory
Domstrasse 60, 50668, Cologne
Germany
Phone: +49 221 539 7090
E-mail: [email protected]
Zuzana Pudilová
Distributor
Jasmila Žbanić
Film Director / Producer
Ivo Andrle
Distributor
Mirjana Karanović
Actress, Film Director
Damir Ibrahimović
Producer
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