Last Evening of Croatian Programme at the Arena with The Staffroom and The Head of a Big Fish

Last Evening of Croatian Programme at the Arena with The Staffroom and The Head of a Big Fish

Tonight we find out the winners of this year’s awards and the winner of the Grand Golden Arena

Last night at the Arena, the last two films in competition in the Croatian Programme were screened: The Staffroom, directed by Sonja Tarokić, and The Head of a Big Fish, directed by Arsen Oremović.

Sonja Tarokić’s The Staffroom tells the story of Anamarija, newly employed and enthusiastic school counsellor who is forced to choose between her own principles or fitting in the staffroom. Confronted with the repetitive restrictions of the school system and surrounded by discouraged teachers, Anamarija will wage her own private war against the problematic history teacher, unaware that by doing so, she is gradually becoming like the rest of her colleagues in the staffroom.

Arsen Oremović’s The Head of the Big Fish is a story about taxi driver Andrija, who is frustrated by the everyday rut and financial debts and tries to find a way out by selling his family’s house in the country where his brother, a war veteran called Traktor, lives. Andrija plans to start his own business, so he invites Traktor to temporarily move in with him and his wife Vesna in the city. The brother’s move into their everyday marital life additionally disrupts their not-so-harmonious relationship.

The film The Inheritors, directed by Stefan Ruzowitsky, this year’s president of the Croatian Programme Jury, was screened in the Special Screenings Programme at Valli Cinema, while the film Seven Beauties, was screened in honour of the director Lina Wertmüller in the Film Classics Programme. At Ambrela Beach, the film Looking for Venera, directed by Norika Sefa, was screened in the Dizalica Programme, while Jan Paweł Matuszyński’s political thriller Leave No Traces was screened at Kaštel. The film The Exploits of Moominpappa – Adventures of a Young Moomin, directed by Ira Carpelan, was screened in the Pulica Programme at the Istrian National Theatre, as well as the film Bullets Over Marseille, directed by Gordan Matić, in the Special Screenings Programme, and the film Song of the Black Mountains, directed by Kurt Breiness and Hans Natge, in the Film Classics Programme.

The Italian Community in Pula, known as Circolo, hosted a party for all participants of this year’s festival, where director Dalibor Matanić performed as the DJ.

Following the award ceremony at the Arena this evening, the British biography drama Belfast, directed by Kenneth Branagh, will have its Croatian premiere. The film won a number of awards at international festivals, including the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film takes us back to Belfast in 1969. Nine-year-old Buddy leads an idyllic life with his parents, brother, and grandparents in a quiet working neighbourhood, but suddenly finds himself confronted with the ugly reality of escalating religious conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. Rising turmoil, violence, and growing danger mean that Buddy’s family has to face a nearly impossible decision – stay or start packing and go?

The drama Darling, directed by Brigitte Stærmose, will be screened in the Special Screenings Programme at the Istrian National Theatre, while the film Here, directed by Zrinko Ogresta, and Glory of Emptiness, directed by Jasmin Duraković, will be screened at Valli Cinema. The classic That Man from Rio, directed by Phillipe de Broca, will be screened at Kaštel in honour of famous French actor Jean Paul Belmondo, and the film The Outsiders, directed by Jelena Gavrilović will be screened on the last evening at Ambrela Beach.