Discoveries from Slovenia World Cinema

Loneliness. Strong winds and aurora. What do you feel when you listen to the ocean or when an aurora takes you towards the storm?

Panorama of Judenburg. Transportation of the remains of the leaders of the military revolt shot in 1918 in Judenburg. Reception at Ljubljana railway station and funeral.

The married couple Zdravka and Jože live in the corner of the river canyon. The only way for them to cross the river is by cable car. Zdravka has her last day of work before retirement, so Jože takes her to the other bank by cable car. At home, Jože learns that they have again rejected his request to build a bridge. Embittered, he starts brewing brandy and writing a protest banner. He falls asleep drunk. Zdravka returns from work and realizes that Jože is nowhere to be found.

Not every love story is the same. Some are tragic, others stunning. But there is always hope, even when the movie ends.

A man wakes up in an apocalyptic world, where he has to push on with the weight of life on his shoulders and defy the wind. He is invisible to the world around him and will not find peace until he rids of the heavy burden.

Vulgar natives fail to satisfy the appetites of depraved winemakers. They therefore kidnap the mayor's daughter Eva. Gastarbeiter Vincenc sees conflict as an opportunity to rise and grow over everyone’s head.

Demonic pressure of schizophrenic and paranoid media through Satan's eye on everyman who is looking for a solution to keep his sanity. (The film was made during the general quarantine in Slovenia in 2020 based on the government decree to fight coronavirus)

Architecture is not a static but a dynamic, living thing. Similarly film is highly suited to represent and experience architectures as spaces, as stages for human encounter and interaction. In this series of short films architecture becomes animated, even transformed, with social input. Similarly it serves to animate its viewers/occupants -- architecture as stage and actor both. (Good) built projects in Slovenia generally follow a well-thought and focused approach and execution. They are, relatively speaking, of modest size. They are small not in scale nor ambition -- but small as in contained, disciplined, intelligent and specifically responsive. With room for a smile.

The film paints an inspiring portrait of Tomaž Šalamun, an extraordinary poet who lived for his art and tirelessly sparked creativity in others. For more than 50 years, he remained fully committed to art, often paying a high price. His poetry, charisma and passionate support for fellow poets made him a globally revered persona, especially in the U.S., while his personal life was riddled with struggles and refusals to compromise.

The main hero, Martin Uhernik is involved in a crime, in the murder of his neighbour Jakob Luzar. The first instance court adjudicated his acquittal since there was lack of sufficient evidence of the murder. As the politicians and the local authorities interfere in the judgement, the prosecution requests a repeated trial before the Higher court. New evidence is found and the Higher court sentenced Uhernik to prison. His wife Ana is accused of taking part in the crime as well. During eight years of imprisonment the family falls apart: the wife passes away, the eight and twelve years old children are left to other people. The locals talk about a presumable killer and indicate a possibility of somebody else's involvement in the crime.

The documentary entitled 'Janez Puhar's Lost Formula' introduces the Slovenian inventor of glass-plate photography from the point of view of a foreign observer, that of Scotsman Robin Crichton, who wonders how and why we honour him, since he is virtually unknown in the Western world. Robin decides to single-handedly look into these Slovenian beliefs. Puhar claims that for the light-sensitive matter he used mercury, sulfur, iodine and possibly varnish, which he applied in the end to protect the emulsion. But his real formula has never been brought to light anywhere. Indeed, the whole world knows that no one has used Puhar's ingredients to make photographs, because the said three elements are not sensitive to light - neither separately nor together as a compound. Robin therefore arrives at the key question: are the four Puhar originals, which currently exist around the world, real or are they just a mistake made by Slovenian historians and museum specialists?

The film is set in a youth home, which houses children who have been removed from socially inappropriate environments.

While returning a lost package, Jogi and Davor are faced with bureaucracy at the post office, so they decide to deliver the package themselves. On the way to the right address, they encounter some problems, but with some luck they solve them. Heavy music, two models and one box.

Lucian (13) would like to fit in. He doesn’t want to be ridiculed, so he decides to go skiing for sports day even though he can’t ski at all. One lie leads to another, and finally to a flurry of untruths that put Lucian in an unbearable situation he can’t escape from.

Four renowned artists, Peter Ciuha, Sreco Dragan, Oto Rimele and Tilen Zbona, are exhibiting their works as part of the 'SPEKULA' art project in the Loza Gallery, Koper. In a unique way, the film explores their varying artistic experiences through the exhibits and through an articulation of the concept of the exhibition, 'At the edge of the depiction'.

A couple is waiting in the vet hallway with their dog. Non-verbal communication begins between the visibly frightened woman and the receptionist.

Well, Bizgeci are feathery people and live in the area of dry steppes. Their homes are neat and quite lofty cages. Bizgeci are the link between primates and birds. They keep a domesticated cat and one human being - the professor. Of course, they are not those funny and stupid people you meet with every day in school, at home or during your various activities.

Maja tries to alleviate her addiction to alcohol and depression by talking to the duck she keeps in her bathtub.

What is life like with dyslexia, which does not only mean problems with reading, writing or mathematics, but also manifests itself in coordination, balance, concentration, among other things?

Max, the lead character, has no life, just his best friend John. Then Max meets a girl and the film gets a twist.

An emotionally shattering portrait of the unfulfilled childhood of Anatolij Rizov, a boy caught in between the post-catastrophe condition of his home town Chernobyl and the state of siege in Slovenia during its brief war for independence, where Anatolij is spending summer holidays.

A documentary featurette about the Slovenian singer-songwriter Tomaž Pengov.

Judas, a squirrel that seeks to find its place in the world. Shortfilm made for Stripburger magazine's 18th anniversary.

Drago Habjan is a pigeon breeder of the old school. At the age of six, when he saw his first carrier pigeon, he fell in love with pigeons for life. In Drago's words, a pigeon is a mister. And so is Drago. He understands pigeons, and pigeons understand him. The film shows harmony and love difficult to find. It is about love, solitude, anger, loneliness and sadness of a single being. Mister Pigeon.

Two typical Slovenian families live in Alpine idyll, until one of the neighbors buys a new car...

Izidor is dreaming of becoming a real firefighter, despite not being taken seriously. Everything changes when he wins the lottery.

The documentary follows seven stories from the set of deadly
sins and virtues. The concepts have been interpreted through the ambiguity, associations and meanings triggered by various social contexts.
Using phenomena from our recent history, the story focuses on justice, prudence, sloth, greed, gluttony, temperance, pride. With regard to each phenomenon, i.e. each sin or/and virtue, there is the question of the duality of borders. If virtue is a desire subdued, and sin a desire that goes too far and crosses the border, this necessarily implies an area of ambiguity, of borders and questions about what is right and what isn’t.

Interpersonal relationships in a dysfunctional family under the microscope of the camera.

A badger is lying motionless on a local road. A police patrol approaches the body in the dark. They soon realise that the animal is not dead; the badger is dead drunk! When the police attempt to drag the creature off the road, he wakes up and things take a strange turn.

Koyaa tackles everyday situations in his own wacky way.

Taking inspiration from the history of conflict throughout Eastern Europe, Echoes Of Time examines the concept of the illusion of freedom.

In December 2013, the fourth memorial service, entitled Found Portraits, was held at the former border crossing between Nova Gorica and Gorizia. Citizens of both Goricas were invited to select photographs of unknown fellow citizens and talk about their memories of them.

A dense visual collage of online-found videos, memes, photos, GIFs, and links, combined with the director’s own work. Following Hollywood-style narratives, the film shifts from idyllic moments to disasters, pandemics, alien invasions, nuclear explosions, questioning apocalyptic scenarios that could lead to the end of the world as we know it.

Short documentary about Ita Rina, female actress originating from Slovenia who was a silent movie star.

For years, an elderly man and woman have been visiting the edge of their world – a stream, which, in fact, is a mirror image of their lives. The river with their baits is a metaphor of life. Although the fish have apparently swum away, some life remains. One take, one shot, one love.

An experimental short film.

An adaptation of the Gospel of Mark 19, verses from 13 through 16.

8 year-old Lija tries to deal with the death of her pet bunny.

Experimental short film.

A music documentary based on the work of Slovenian multihyphenate artist Frane Milčinski Ježek. His satyrical poems and songs from the 1950s and 60s today sound more urgent and topical than ever, and are covered by musicians ranging from Finnish avant-garde accordion player Kimmo Pohjonen, to legendary Croatian songstress Josipa Lisac, to the former Bad Seed Hugo Race. The music is produced by indie rock icon Cris Eckman (The Walkabouts), and expertly mixed with archive footage of Jezek's own performances and skits, creating a touching and thought-provoking narrative.

Tone is convinced that his son is a sex maniac because he is supposedly looking under his teacher's skirt. But he is wrong. While he is obsessed with trying to find the reasons for his misfortune and even makes his wife miserable, his friend hints that sexuality is a matter of genes; Tone comes to a conclusion that he himself is a sex maniac.

Ajda is a new assistant director on a daily soap, and on her first day she walks into chaos. Ajda has no idea what she is supposed to be doing. Problems start piling up, and Ajda is struggling to cope. Then, with the help of production assistant Matjaž she is close to making it through her first day. Close.

Beyond Boundaries is a lyrical, essay-like road movie tracing the scars of war in Europe and telling of places where a border is known as “Meja”, “Granica”, “Határ” or “Frontiera” – the borders of Slovenia to Austria, Croatia, Hungary, and Italy.

Summertime, a meadow covered with flowers. Wrapped in the rustle of birds and crickets, an old woman tells us about her life. Her happy childhood, her career on stage, moments of sadness or heartfelt joy. Such is the common, exceptional fate of Stefka Drolc.

American TV producer Dale Hurd comes to Slovenia 20 years after its independence from Yugoslavia. He wants to investigate the case of Erased and meets two Bosnian Muslims - Irfan and Nisveta. They changed their cultural identity after the independence of Slovenia and tried to assimilate their new culture. Nisveta converts from Islam to Christianity and becomes an important member of the Baptist Church in Ljubljana (she sings in the church choir). On the other hand Irfan continues to live in past times of Yugoslav communism. He becomes a member of Youth Work Brigades Club in Ljubljana. "Slovenia My Homeland" is a film about rootlessness and a people's need to belong to its society.

Water is the source of life, so people have always adapted to it. When they captured it and directed it to their advantage, they mastered life. Cultures were born and civilizations were built around water reservoirs. It connected people. Today, the times when people used to go for water with buckets seem like a distant past, but many still remember how lively it was at the wells. Every day of the year demanded its own bucket, so they watched every drop they used. Only the arrival of the water supply system made it possible for everyone to get their own water, which flowed without limit. The wells began to fall into disrepair. The film records fragments of 20th-century history, as reflected in the water reservoirs of the cross-border Gorizia Karst.

An unforgettable adventure about friendship, love and hate. Get your tissues ready, because you'll cry with laughter. Or maybe not.

In this feature-length documentary film essay, archival footage weaves together childhood memories from once-opposing sides on the Gorizia border to rethink—80 years after WWII, and amid renewed calls for rearmament—the meaning of home and belonging.

Blažka works as a hostess in a contemporary gallery. At the opening of an exhibition, she sees familiar faces, which surprises her. When she tries to approach them, they step on stage and begin to present their performance. Blažka finds out that the two of them are the authors of today's exhibition.

Short avant-garde super 8mm film.

Ironic interpretation of positive and negative sides of daily trips of city people into the nature.

A seemingly harmless prank turns into a delirious nightmare revolving around spiders.

Harmony is slowly broken as perception is disturbed. Images gradually become distorted, as if reality were becoming unbalanced. It's unclear what causes this distortion, but it seems as if the world around us is crumbling while we try to understand it. It is a subtle but deeply distorted vision (of oneself, others or the environment) where the lines between what is real and what is illusory become blurred. Questions arise about how fragile our perception of the world is and where truth transforms into a distorted image.

A spaceship travels into the unknown through distant space. Due to the theory of relativity the metabolism of the crew is very slow in their time only 30 years have passed, but a millennium has gone by in the Earth time. During their voyage the computer reveals a secret, the crew is only a metabolic time measuring device. The ship flies close to the speed of light, and due to the contraction effect the duration of the flight cannot be established in any other way but with the length of human life.

The Way of the Samurai is a story full of self-denial, hard work and music, entwined with the art of sport fighting, exhausting training and personal spiritual growth. It is a documentary on the voyage from childhood to manhood, a voyage through unknown and secret places full of surprise. Moments captured on camera are vivid and rich, and the hero's confessional personal and musical style does not sing his own praises. On the contrary - it is an experience par excellence that will surely leave an impression on anyone who is willing to take the hero's journey through genuine and clear narrative ... the story of a Man, the story of a Samurai.

Documentary film Deckument is a memoir of a marginal sporting subculture. It tells a story of Slovenian skateboarding pioneers in late 80s and early 90s.

This film tells the story of the first black leader in all of Eastern Europe, Slovenian Mayor Peter Bossman, two months after his election.

Young creative individuals have embraced certain American ideas, transformed and adapted them to the Slovenian context. Podcasts, stand-up comedy, web series, mobile apps and TED events are some of the practices that are American by format, but have changed with use in Slovenia. With these influences, is Slovenia losing its identity, or gaining?

A backstage look at the people and artists of the pioneering dance network Aerowaves, and their influence on contemporary dance across Europe since 1996.