The Ruins

Colour, 35 mm
Slovenia, 2004, 100 min
Section: East of the West - competitive
Oficiální stránky: www.emotionfilm.si/ruins

Synopsis

Herman, a dramatist and stage director in his prime, an imposing figure both in his work and his private life, is putting together a new stage production. It is to be his best work to date, thus it’s no surprise that he surrounds himself with his closest friends. For the main role, he casts the actress Žana, his real-life partner; her stage partner is to be Gregor, a friend of many years’ standing, and the artist Miloš is also a close ally. The party preceding rehearsals indicates that the planned project is to open a prestigious festival to which foreign guests have also been invited. Herman is prepared to get the maximum out of every one of them and to use his intimate knowledge of his actors and colleagues in order to ensure his play’s success. He is not only an experienced and talented artist, but also a masterful manipulator.... For Janez Burger, who also co-scripted the film, this somewhat autobiographical story became a quest to find the answer to a question: What form does love take in our egocentric world where, for the most part, everyone thinks only of himself?

About the director

Janez Burger (b. 1965, Kranj, Slovenia) first studied economics in Ljubljana and then feature direction at Prague’s Film Academy (FAMU), graduating in 1996. He then moved back to Ljubljana where he founded the Burghteater, an independent experimental studio theatre. There he directed the production Piki and Roni (Piki in Roni) in 1999, and, a year later, Miss Margaret. After creating a series of short films, his feature debut Running (V leru, 1999) was screened as part of the Official Selection at Karlovy Vary in 1999 and subsequently enjoyed an extensive festival tour. One of his shorts, Macek (1994), was awarded by the Czech Literary Fund. Ruins (Ruševine) was a prize-winner at the National Film Festival in Ljubljana. It won not only Best Film, but also other categories, including Best Direction and the Audience Prize.