East of the West - Competition 2004 / Povratnik / Germany, Serbia 2003
After five long years Marko returns to the village of his birth. Much has changed. Marko’s mother has sold their house, and Anja, the love of his student days, works in a pharmacy and pleasures men at the drop of a hat. Marko would like to win her back but the present as well as the past are obstacles difficult to hurdle…
After five long years, Marko Kojić returns to the village of his birth, a place where people literally know everybody’s business. Much has changed. Marko’s mother has sold the house and lives at a new address. Anja, the love of his student days, works at a pharmacy and pleasures men at the drop of a hat. Marko has returned mainly because of her. He would like to win her back but the present as well as the past are obstacles difficult to hurdle. Heavy memories hound him at literally every step and the viewer eventually realizes why he once left without a trace. Many let Marko know in no uncertain terms that he isn’t welcome. On top of that they consider him a fugitive and deserter who is running away from himself. Only the publican and his childhood pal Neša are on his side; they understand why he’s come and why he doesn’t want to leave alone...
68 min / Color, 35 mm
International premiere
Director Jovan Arsenić
/ Screenplay Jovan Arsenić
/ Dir. of Photography Karsten Schleitzer
/ Music Lajko Felix
/ Editor Jovan Arsenić, Rita Schwarze
/ Producer Jovan Arsenić
/ Production Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln
/ Cast Ivan Dordević, Snežana Trišić, Saša Ćurčin
/ Contact Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln
Jovan Arsenić (b. 1974, Zrenjanin, Yugoslavia) graduated in psychology from the University of Belgrade. Since October 1998 he has participated in the production of several music videos and short films. In May 1999 he won first prize at the Hague Youth Video Festival with the short video Trka. Since October 2000 he has been involved in post-graduate studies in film and television at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne. Homecoming is his graduation project. Arsenić lives and works as a freelance author, director and editor in Cologne. Filmography: Race (Trka, 1998), Liver (Das Leber, 1999), Are You Happy? (Sind Sie zufrieden?, 2001) L’ultima cena (2001), Diving In (Eintauchen, 2002), Homecoming (Povratnik, 2003).
Homecoming is Arsenić’s writer-director graduation project, in which he makes use of the knowledge he gained studying psychology. “I trained for three months at a psychiatric clinic for young people in Belgrade. Some of the stories I heard there inspired me to write the script”.
Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln
Peter-Welter-Platz 2, 506 76, Cologne
Germany
Phone: +49 221 201 893 30
Fax: +49 221 201 891 7
E-mail: [email protected]
Jovan Arsenić
First-hand brews throughout the year.
Be among the first to learn about upcoming events and other news. We only send the newsletter when we have something to say.
