PriFest reveals its main competitive program “The Honey & Blood program”, comprised exclusively of films from the Balkans

Following the publication of the line-ups that will be part of this editon, PriFest announces the list of films that will comprise the Balkan program, which is the main program of the festival.

The Balkan Film Program, “Honey and Blood Program”, comes with 10 different films. It is important to mention that 3 out of the 10 films that make up the program - namely "Prishtina Story" directed by Burbuqe Berisha, "Rooftop Story" directed by Gazmend Nela and “The Return" (a co-production between Macedonia and Kosovo) directed by Kastriot Abdyli - are films that come from Kosovo.

Traditionally, the Balkan film program is one of the most interesting programs, boasting the highest attendance rates. It is a program in which Balkan authors deal with different topics related to this extraordinary region in the Southeast of Europe. With a symbolic title, just like the meaning of the Balkan name itself, the “Honey and Blood Program” provides a mix of the region's already proven filmmakers and debutants. It is comprised of films covering a wide array of topics and themes, from comedy to social drama, from the theme of war to films for young people.

Below you can find the full list of the films which will comprise this category:

1. Directions (Bulgaria) by Stefan Komandarev,
2. The witch hunter (Serbia) by Rasko Miljkovic,
3. Men don’t cry (Bosnia and Herzegovina) by Alen Drljevic,
4. Year of the Monkey (Macedonia) by Vladimir Blazevski,
5. Comic Sans (Croatia) by Nevio Marasovic,
6. Prishtina story (Kosovo) by Burbuqe Berisha,
7. Rooftop story (Kosovo) by Gazmend Nela,
8. The smell of money (Turkey) by Ahmet Boyacioglu,
9. Zer (Turkey) by Kazim Oz,
10. The Return (Macedonia, Kosovo) by Kastriot Abdyli (out of competition)

From 17-22 July, PriFest will screen films at the National Theatre (two halls), the Open Air Cinema at Zahir Pajaziti Square, and our new venue, Kino Armata.

As in past editions, PriFest offers the ‘All in One’ Card, which costs 10 euros and enables you to see all films that will be screened in the festival. To buy this card, contact us via e-mail ([email protected]) or call our festival office (+38343714944). Individual film tickets, which cost 3 euros, can be found at the National Theater Box Office during the festival days.

“DIRECTIONS”

Directions - Stephan Komandarev

In the span of twenty-four hours, the fate of various people’s lives will collide and be affected during each individuals taxi ride. All are victims of the decline of a suffering nation.These stories are about love and indifference, about devotion and loneliness; all connected by a radio show that poses questions but gives no answers. This is a story about a society’s need for a new DIRECTION even if it was as invasive as open heart surgery.

Directions - Stephan Komandarev / 103 min / Bulgaria 2017

“THE WITCH HUNTER”

The Witch Hunter - Rasko Miljkovic

10-year-old Jovan has had cerebral palsy for as long as he can remember. His condition has shaped his everyday life and made him think of himself as invisible to others – particularly his parents and classmates. In the world of his imagination, however, to which he escapes frequently, he is free to be who he wants and possesses the hero superpowers that everybody dreams of. Jovan's (extra)ordinary existence is suddenly shaken up by a new classmate, Milica. Bit by bit, brave and determined Milica tears down the wall that Jovan has built around himself and eventually invites him to join her on a real life adventure – to liberate her father from his new wife, Milica’s stepmother, whom she believes is a witch.
The quest offers Jovan a reality beyond anything he could have imagined, but in order to become a true hero Jovan first has to learn to accept himself for who he is.

The Witch Hunter - Rasko Miljkovic / 86 min / Serbia , Macedonia 2018

“MEN DON’T CRY”

Men Don't Cry - Alen Drljević

The armed conflicts of the 1990s not only visibly destroyed the land of the former Yugoslavia, but also left the deepest wounds in the memory of each of its belligerent nations. There are as many different interpretations of that bleak past as there are countries affected. It is therefore hard to expect absolute harmony when, less than two decades since the war ended, a diverse group of veterans gathers at a remote mountain hotel for a therapy session over several days. On the contrary, such a dangerously volatile situation can suddenly ignite by just one thoughtless word, or a seemingly dirty look. That’s because the former soldiers, obstinately holding on to their fundamental masculinity and their prejudices, refuse to expose the inhumanity of the atrocities perpetrated – be it by them or by someone else. This brilliantly directed drama about how we must first learn to forgive ourselves before we can forgive others, boasts a cast of top Balkan male actors. In addition to Sebastian Cavazza in the role of the therapist, a diehard pacifist, the film features the excellent Emir Hadžihafizbegović, Leon Lučev, Izudin Bajrović, Boris Isaković, Ermin Bravo, Boris Ler, and Ivo Gregurević.

Men Don’t Cry - Alen Drljević / 100 min / Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany 2017

“YEAR OF THE MONKEY”

Year Of The Monkey - Vladimir Blazevski

The two main protagonists of this black comedy are Tsobe, a poor warden at the Skopje ZOO and the chimpanzee Coco, an inhabitant at the same ZOO. The simple story tangles up with Coco’s escape from “captivity to freedom”. As a result fo the general economic crisis and high poverty levels, Tsobe gets fired from his job but he also receives a promise that he will be taken back to work if he manages to track down and bring back the fugitive. In the wretched and transition-devastated country, the escaped chimpanzee causes big media uproar. Coco becomes a symbol of resistance and liberal tendencies, someone who has managed to break away from the enchanted circle of general entropy. That is how Tsobe’s mission for capturing the fugitive becomes traitorous. We follow a part of the absurdly comical mischief of the hunt for the run-away monkey through Coco’s perspective. He is kind of a mirror and silent witness of the sad and at the same time funny world that has lost its compass. And an unintentional tragicomic reason for people’s confrontation with their own fears and frustrations. He even becomes the flag of the revolt, disobedience and everything that a common person cannot be in an unfortunate country.

Year Of The Monkey - Vladimir Blazevski / 112 min / Macedonia , Kosova , Serbia 2018

“COMIC SANS”

Comic Sans - Nevio Marasović

After trying in vain to patch up his relationship with his girlfriend, Alan Despot (30), a successful graphic designer goes to the island of Vis and finds himself torn between his eccentric father, his ex-girlfriend and her new fiancé. In new situations and new circumstances, Alan will view his own life from a new perspective.

Comic Sans - Nevio Marasović / 103 min / Croatia 2018

“A PRISHTINA STORY”

A Prishtina Story - Burbuqe Berisha

The life of a young middle class couple, Aurora and Ben, changes when their daughter, Fiona, is diagnosed with acute leukemia and the struggle to find money for her treatment abroad begins. Trying to provide for their daughter, they are confronted with the evil parts of the world and face different battles. Their happy and peaceful life changes completely as it takes a major turn.

A Prishtina Story - Burbuqe Berisha / 85 min / Kosova 2018

“ROOFTOP STORY”

Rooftop Story - Gazmend Nela

Lumi wants to exterminate all the crows of his city;he blames them for the loss of his family in a traffic accident. . He meets Yllka which is in search of her son that she had given up him since his birth five years ago and was adapted from local family. She is seeking to take him back on his birthday. They make an agreement to help each other, so Lum to kill all the crows and Yllka to take her son and the two set out on an adventure in which they discover their past.

Rooftop Story - Gazmend Nela / 75 min / Kosova, Macedonia 2017

“THE SMELL OF MONEY”

The Smell of Money - Ahmet Boyacioglu

The characters of the film live in a down-at-heel suburb of Ankara: Mehmet drives a cab for a living; Metin runs the teahouse; and Adnan is an out-of-work journalist. When Mehmet regales his friends with tales of the murky and unlawful dealings that some of his passengers are mixed up in, they install a camera in Mehmet’s cab and record the passengers. The recording of a businessman who turns up in town for a little philandering presents an opportunity for blackmail and the deal rewards them handsomely. A close relationship develops between Mehmet and Melek who lives a floor up from Adnan. One day, a file is left behind in Mehmet’s cab which belongs to a mafia-deep state organization. Mehmet and his friends are soon pursued by a bunch of Men in Shades.

The Smell of Money - Ahmet Boyacioglu / 99 min / Turkey 2018

“THE RETURN”

The Return - Kastriot Abdyli

This contemporary story takes place in a Balkan village where the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, eastern and western, all intertwine. Ilir, a young Albanian man from Macedonia who migrated to France, has decided to marry a French woman by the name of Sabine (perhaps out of love, but perhaps also to secure his residence permit). Because of legal issues (Ilir entered France on a fake visa) he must return to his native village to marry. This seems like a great opportunity for him to see his family again after seven years of absence and for Sabine to learn more about his roots. However, their surprise visit quickly turns sour when Ilir’s father, a traditional old man, realizes that his son has returned only to marry some foreign woman and then leave again, thus breaking the promise he once made to a girl from their village.

The Return - Kastriot Abdyli / 84 min / Macedonia , Kosova 2018 (Out of competition)

"ZER”

Zer - Kazım Öz

Zer is the story of a song, whispered to Jan’s ear on his grandmother’s deathbed. A survivor of the Dersim Massacre, Zarife hides her identity and past in her memory, with this song. Raised in NYC, Jan begins a journey through Kurdistan, searching for his grandma’s past and his own self.

Zer - Kazım Öz / 110 min / Turkey 2017