In Croatia there are not only beautiful landscapes for tourists to see or great football players. There is also good cinema, coming out of the great pot that was Yugoslav cinema, after the country’s disintegration.
Along with Slovenia, Croatia would even be one of the first states to declare independence from Yugoslavia, which, in addition to eminently political issues, highlights the specific cultural identity of the Croats.
Not being one of the best-known films among us, a good starting point is “A Safe Place”, one of the big premieres of the week, which won three awards in Locarno.
The film follows the journey of Damir who, over the 24 hours in which the action unfolds, tries to end his life. For their part, the family will do everything to save him.
Not being naturally one of the most pleasant or fun themes that cinema can address, there are not many examples of works about the traumas of mental illness. This work by Croatian Juraj Lerotic goes straight to that shortlist, with the added bonus of being a first feature film, which is followed in the director’s work by two short films and a TV series.
“A safe place” never fails to make us think of the narrative and style harshness of “4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days”, by Cristian Mungiu, Palme d’Or for Romania, another country that, at the same historical moment, he freed himself from a totalitarian regime and from those ashes gave birth to a vibrant cinema.
But Lerotic’s film has its own identity, it focuses on the human, through which we can identify with its central character, played with the necessary sobriety by the already experienced Goran Markovic, and ends up becoming a celebration of life and a celebration of cinema.
When, unfortunately, many films look similar to each other, and most directors limit themselves to filming their script, it is good to realize that there are still new talents thinking about new cinema and not being afraid to approach difficult themes such as from “A Safe Place”.
