Spare Parts

Colour, 35 mm
Slovenia, 2002, 87 min
Section: East of the West
Oficiální stránky: www.emotionfilm.si/rd

Synopsis

Krško is a small Slovenian industrial town not far from Croatia. It’s only claim to fame is its nuclear power plant, paper factory and race track. Krško is also the home of Ludvik, a former racing champion. After his wife died his world completely fell apart. So night after night – without any scruples but with a great deal of cynicism – he drives refugees to the Italian border; their lives at home in their respective countries had become a desperate struggle to survive. They are full of faith and expectations that life in the West will be much better in every way, little suspecting why their transporters speak of them as “spare parts.” One day Ludvik gets a younger helper named Rudi. His first journey through the night with a live cargo is a real shock for a kid on the verge of manhood. He can’t overlook the fact that the people are treated like cattle, nor that the poor folk have to pay for even the smallest service with hard currency, or in the case of an attractive Macedonian girl, with her body. Ludvik is surprised by Rudi’s reaction and decides to re-educate him. He starts spending his free time with him, going to pubs and bars. It doesn’t take Rudi long to become a “proper” tough guy.

About the director

Damjan Kozole (b. 1964, Brežice, Slovenia) grew up in Krško, the setting for Spare Parts. He lives and works in Ljubljana, where at age 22 he shot his first feature, Fateful Call (Usodni telefon, 1987), considered the first independent film made in the former Yugoslavia. His (generally) low-budget films, Remington (1988), Stereotype (Stereotip, 1997) and Porno Film (2000), were screened at a number of international festivals. Spare Parts was included in the competition at this year’s Berlinale. Damjan Kozole has also shot shorts and written screenplays.