On the Sunny Side of the Alps

Colour, 35 mm
Slovenia, 2007, 15 min
Section: East of the West - Out of Competition

About the film

Two typical Slovenian families live in idyllic harmony, until one of them buys a new car… This purchase makes the neighbour and his family uneasy, but they overcome their envy and instead feast their eyes on the beautiful landscape. This bitterly ironic anecdote, founded on a simple yet effective idea, provides an original response to events in contemporary Slovenian society. “On the sunny side of the Alps – that’s how travel agents promote my country, a beautiful place full of hospitable and friendly people. But recent racist and xenophobic incidents show Slovenia in a darker light, and my film is a reaction to this.” Janez Burger

About the director

Janez Burger (b. 1965, Kranj, Slovenia) initially studied economics in Ljubljana and then film direction at Prague’s FAMU (1996). After graduating, he settled in Ljubljana, where he established the Burgerteater (1997) and the production company Staragara (2003). In 1999 he debuted with the feature film Idle Running (V leru), which was screened in competition at the Karlovy Vary IFF. His second film The Ruins (Ruševine, 2004) competed at the KV festival in the section East of the West.