Synopsis

Franci Slak’s experimental debut feature is known as one of the best Slovenian films of all time. Pavel, a psychology student, is on the verge of a personal crisis because he can no longer make sense of anything. His studies and his everyday life in the city seem to have become empty and meaningless to him. He is longing for another kind of life and wants to finally grow up. But Pavel is clueless about how to go about finding himself a more satisfying identity. Neither the relationship with his girlfriend nor his part-time job make him happy. Therefore, he decides to return to his parents in the countryside. When he tries to convince them of his vague plans for the future, they can’t quite follow and completely lack understanding. Slak’s minimalist drama doesn’t have a plot in particular and almost comes across as some sort of documentary, as it was filmed with amateur actors in very realistic settings. Nonetheless, the film is entirely impressive: Quietly observing, with a direct visual language and an innovative sound, the director presents a number of situations which he leaves as sketches, instead of making them into scenes. For Franci Slak this seems to be the best means of looking into the life of others. Strong and extraordinarily independent cinema.