Film Archive

The Uncle

Proxima Competition 2022 / Stric / Croatia, Serbia 2022

Yugoslavia, late 1980s. Parents and son are hastily making the final preparations for Christmas Eve dinner. Their beloved uncle will be turning up from Germany any minute now. But, hang on, are things really as they seem? An unnerving debut à la Haneke that cleverly balances on the edge of farce and oppressive thriller while ingeniously toying with narrative structure.

Synopsis

Yugoslavia, late 1980s. Parents and son are hastily making the final preparations for Christmas Eve dinner. Their beloved uncle from Germany will be parking his Mercedes in front of the house any moment now and everything has to be ready. But, wait a minute, are things really as they seem? In their debut film directors Andrija Mardešić and David Kapac cleverly balance on the edge of farce and oppressive thriller while ingeniously toying with narrative structure. The atmosphere of the piece, set almost entirely in a single location, is unsettling in a way reminiscent of Haneke, heightened by a persuasive performance from popular Serbian actor Miki Manojlović in the role of the uncle.

Lenka Tyrpáková

About the film

104 min / Color, DCP
World premiere
Director David Kapac, Andrija Mardešić / Screenplay Andrija Mardešić, David Kapac / Dir. of Photography Miloš Jaćimović / Music Miro Manojlović / Sound Frano Homen / Editor Tomislav Stojanović / Art Director Ivana Škrabalo / Producer Ivan Kelava, Tomo Vujić, Milan Stojanović / Production Eclectica / Coproduction Sense production / Cast Predrag Miki Manojlović, Ivana Roščić, Goran Bogdan, Roko Sikavica, Kaja Šišmanović / Contact Eclectica

About the director

David Kapac (1986, Croatia) and Andrija Mardešić (1985, Croatia). Selected filmography: Zagorje Specialty (Zagorski specijalitet, 2012, TV film), Iris (2012, short), Tenant (2013, TV short), The Uncle (Stric, 2022).