At the upcoming 59th International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary, which will take place from July 4th to 12th, the film How is It So Green Here?, directed by Nikola Ležaić, will have its world premiere as part of the Proxima competition selection.
The main character Nikola (34) is a film director stuck in the world of advertising, buys an old van to convert it into a camper, dreaming of family trips with his wife and soon-to-be-born daughter. When he learns that the remains of his late grandmother, a refugee from the war, could be returned to her native village in Dalmatia, he sets out on a journey with his father, MIRKA (74), for whome this is his first time returning to the family home after 25 years. During the journey, Nikola gains unexpected insights about parenting, family, the passing of time and the nebulous nature of memory.
The film was created in a Serbian-Croatian-Bulgarian co-production signed by the production companies Qče (Marija Maša Lero, Nikola Ležaić), Nukleus film (Siniša Juričić), PremierStudio (Nikolaj Mutafčijev) and Forgrade (Goran Todorić), and was produced with the support of Film Center of Serbia, Croatian Audiovisual Center, Bulgarian National Film Center and the European funds MEDIA and Eurimages.
Along with the director and screenwriter, Nikola Ležaić, the creative team consists of director of photography Aleksandar Pavlović, editor Jan Klemsche, sound designer Jakov Munižaba, set designer Nera Vulović and costume designer Biljana Grgur.
The main roles in the film are played by: Filip Đurić, Izudin Bajrović, Stojan Matavulj, Snježana Sinovčić Šiškov, Leon Lučev, Rada Mrkšić, Dobrila Stojnić, Dejan Đonović, Đorđe Erčević, Milica Gojković and Branka Katić.
The premiere of the film in Karlovy Vary is scheduled for July 7th, and it will compete with twelve other feature films from around the world.
This is the second feature film directed by Nikola Ležaić. Nicole’s debut film, Tilva Roš (2010), was nominated for the European Film Award (European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI) and after its regional premiere at the Sarajevo Film Festival and the international premiere at the Locarno festival, was screened and awarded at numerous festivals around the world.
PHOTO: Production