When Father Was Away on Business Backdrop Blur
When Father Was Away on Business Poster
7.3 2h 16m

When Father Was Away on Business

In a post-WWII Yugoslavia still under Stalinist rule in the 1950s, six-year-old Malik is oblivious as to why his father, Mehmed, has suddenly disappeared. In truth, Mehmed has been sent to a labor camp as punishment for acts of sexual indiscretion involving young girls. Malik's mother, Senija, however, has no answers, and the family must cope in the father's absence.

Top Cast

  • Moreno de Bartoli

    Moreno de Bartoli

    Malik

  • Predrag 'Miki' Manojlović

    Predrag 'Miki' Manojlović

    Mehmed 'Meša' Zolj, otac

  • Mirjana Karanović

    Mirjana Karanović

    Senija 'Sena' Zolj, majka

  • Mustafa Nadarević

    Mustafa Nadarević

    Zijah 'Zijo' Zulfikarpašić

  • Mira Furlan

    Mira Furlan

    Ankica Vidmar

  • Predrag Laković

    Predrag Laković

    Kućepazitelj Franjo

  • Pavle Vuisić

    Pavle Vuisić

    Muzafer Zulfikarpašić, dedo

  • Slobodan Aligrudić

    Slobodan Aligrudić

    Ostoja Cekić

  • Eva Ras

    Eva Ras

    Ilonka Petrović

Overview

In a post-WWII Yugoslavia still under Stalinist rule in the 1950s, six-year-old Malik is oblivious as to why his father, Mehmed, has suddenly disappeared. In truth, Mehmed has been sent to a labor camp as punishment for acts of sexual indiscretion involving young girls. Malik's mother, Senija, however, has no answers, and the family must cope in the father's absence.

Rating

7.3 / 10
148 Reviews
0 Popular

1 Reviews

  • deepkino
    deepkino
    7 Sep 17, 2025

    Emir Kusturica's When Father Was Away on Business is a courageous, funny, and deeply moving film that blends comedy, family drama, and political realism. The title refers to the lie a family tells a six-year-old boy to explain his father's imprisonment in a labor camp for a thoughtless remark that offended Communist officials. It won the Palme d'Or at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.

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