We organised a film critic workshop for high school students in collaboration with Cinedays 2018 and Critical camp. This is one of the reviews written during the workshop.

The low budget feature film which was released in 2018, is directed by Marta Pidal and through it, she realistically portrays the everyday life of people in Bosnia, even though she is not a native to the country herself.

The story follows a single mother from Bosnia, Nada Kadić (Adia Hoffman) and her struggles to try and be a good mother and raise her daughter Hava (Hava Dombich) who has autism. Tired of work and from life in general, Nada goes on a  trip with Hava through Bosnia to visit her parents.

This film is quite interesting, as it may create different opinions in different viewers. Some may find it dull because it lacks music and especially camera movement, most scenes having been filmed with one static shot thus distancing the viewer from the characters. But this characteristic gives the movie an authentic and realistic feeling, as life is not the like it’s portrayed in Hollywood films with large budgets. In life, there aren’t always clean cuts or good comebacks, as well as the fact that life can often be dull and static.

Although, there are few dynamic scenes that are filled with movement, which attempt to capture the surrounding environment seen through the eyes of the child, as her autism causes her to view the world differently than the rest of us.

There are scenes where there isn’t much going on, but these scenes serve as probably the only way the viewer can understand the connection between Nada and her daughter and all their struggles in life, one of them being Hava’s autism. Another element which makes the film stand out is the realistic portrayal of normal Bosnian people and in general the mentality of the people from the Balkan Peninsula.

All in all, the movie might not appeal to everyone, especially to a younger audience, or might take time to settle down in the viewer’s mind, but it realistically shows a story of everyday people and draws attention to a subject which isn’t brought up that often. Although the movie could have been shorter and I wouldn’t watch it again soon, I found it enjoyable after thinking about it for a bit.

 Nadica Trajkova