Honeymoons

Colour, 35 mm
Serbia, Albania, 2009, 95 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

Nik and Melinda are Albanians. Marko and Vera are Serbs. They live in neighbouring countries and share the same dream: To find a better life elsewhere. Nik and Melinda can’t wait to travel to Italy, where they would be rid of the family obligations and village traditions which prevent them from being together. Marko and Vera head for Austria where talented cellist Marko has a chance of joining the celebrated Vienna Philharmonic. But their dreams are marred by similar problems. While all their visas are in order, both couples are left stranded at their respective borders. The men have nothing whatsoever to do with the terrorist attack which occurred in Kosovo a few hours before their arrival, but a series of coincidences and ruthless officials shatter their hopes of fulfilling their dreams.... Although the protagonists in Paskaljević’s film never meet, they have inherited the legacy of the same past which, in the eyes of Western Europe, has rendered the region untrustworthy and unstable, and has cast over their lives a shadow of hatred, intolerance and sorrow.

About the director

Goran Paskaljević (b. 1947, Belgrade, Yugoslavia) studied direction at FAMU in the years 1967–71. He started out making documentaries and shorts, debuting in features in 1976 with Beach Guard in Winter. Other films include: The Dog Who Loved Trains (1978), Special Treatment (1980), Twilight Time (1982), Illusive Summer ’68 (1984) and Tango Argentino (1992). With the growth of nationalism in Yugoslavia, Paskaljević left the country in 1992 and only returned six years later with the film The Powder Keg, which won FIPRESCI Prizes from the Venice IFF and the EFA. The film was shown at Karlovy Vary, as were others by the director: How Harry Became a Tree (2001), Midwinter Night’s Dream (2004) and The Optimists (2006). A complete retrospective of his work was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York at the end of 2008.