Eclectica

The film follows the life of Mijo and his family in a poor Croatian village, during the turbulent years of World War II. The non-linear and elliptical plot gradually forms a clear picture that testifies to the eternal cycle of history and the impossibility of a real change in the Balkans.

Yugoslavia, late 1980s. Parents and son are hastily making the final preparations for Christmas Eve dinner. Their beloved uncle will be turning up from Germany any minute now. But, hang on, are things really as they seem? An unnerving debut à la Haneke that cleverly balances on the edge of farce and oppressive thriller while ingeniously toying with narrative structure.

On the day of an inauguration to head the family business Stane confronts marriage, love and patriarchy.

In a small provincial town, the only traffic light is stuck on red. An intercity bus driver refuses to continue until the light turns green. This provokes a series of misunderstandings with the nervous passengers and the local law enforcement, in a world where following the rules is a misunderstanding in itself.

Under the burning sun, beachgoers are trying to take advantage of every minute of their paid trip to a desolate beach. Among them are a mother with her grown son, two ladies and their dog, a passive-aggressive married couple, loud Italians, happy Hungarians, and an overweight, possibly dead, German lady.

After a year’s absence of his father, son tries to reconcile with him on a solitary trip to the family mountain hut. The more he tries, the more distant his father becomes. When a sunny day is suddenly disrupted by heavy rain, son fears this might have something to do with his father. Can he find the strength to see the truth before the flood arrives?

Maruša connects with Alja online, who lives and works abroad as a nurse. They bond immediately. When Alja falls ill, Maruša travels from Slovenia to the Netherlands to help her new friend, only to discover that not everything is as it seems.

For the two pensioners of Rea Rajčić’s delightful documentary, the nightly ritual of watching (and discussing) Turkish soap operas is so much more than a means of passing the time.