Arsmedia

Genre: Thriller
Duration: 89 min
Year: 2020
Screenplay:  Tommaso Santi, Goran Vojnović
Director:  Goran Vojnović
Cast:  Francesco Borchi, Moamer Kasumović, Maruša Majer, Jaka Jakopič, Emir Hadžihafizbegović, Boris Cavazza, Jasna Žalica, Vlado Novak, Gregor Bakovič, Gianluca Gobbi, Ninni Bruschetta, Aljaž Jovanović, Benjamin Krnetić
Links: www.film-center.si;
Pictures, videos: ftp://ftp.arsmedia.si, (username: arsmedia-press, password: Arsmedia). For FTP access please use clients such as Filezilla, CyberDuck…

STORY

Leo is an Italian who lives in Slovenia. Vučko is a Bosnian who arrived to Slovenia as a child refugee. Leo continues to stay in Slovenia because of his ex-wife Tanja and his son Luka, hoping that they can become a family again. When the bank refuses to grant a loan Leo and Vučko would need to renovate their restaurant, they have no choice but to accept an offer from Gianni, a swindler. They are tasked with stealing Gianni’s truck so that he can collect the insurance money. However, instead of stealing Gianni’s truck, Leo and Vučko mistakenly steal a truck full of refugees. Vučko the refugee and Leo the migrant themselves thus inadvertently become responsible for destinies of people similarly unfortunate as they had once been. In order to solve their financial problems, they decide to sell the refugees. At first it seems that they are not indifferent towards these people, but with each passing day there is less and less humanity left in Leo and Vučko.

Director’s statement

“The film Once Were Humans is becoming more and more topical from day to day – not only because of the problem regarding refugees and migrants in Europe is more pressing today than it used to be years ago, but because we are becoming less and less humane as time goes by.”

Producer’s statement

“We are very enthusiastic about starting the production of this film with a very demanding and important topic, all of which we believe will ensure solid foundations for the best possible result.”

GALLERY

MOMENTS FROM THE PRE-PREMIERE “FILM UNDER THE STARS” 3.8.2021

Foto: Kinodvor (Domen Pal)

MOMENTS FROM THE PREMIERE  22.9.2021

Foto: Katja Goljat

CREW

Screenplay: Tommaso Santi, Goran Vojnović
Director: Goran Vojnović
Director of Photography: Miloš Srdić
Editor: Ivor Ivezić
Sound Recordist: Igor Iskra
Sound Designer: Julij Zornik
Composer: Tamara Obrovac
Production Designer: Marco Juratovec
Costume Designer: Jelena Proković
Make-up Artist: Anja Rančić Godina
Production Manager: Amela Ikovic
Producer: Boštjan Ikovic

CAST

GORAN VOJNOVIĆ

Goran Vojnović is a film director and writer, born in Ljubljana in 1980. He graduated from University of Ljubljana in film and TV directing. His first novel entitled Čefurji raus!/Southern Scum Go Home! received a prestigious Prešeren’s Fund Award and Kresnik for best novel of the year. The novel was made into a hugely successful theatre performance and in 2013 into a feature film, directed by Vojnović himself. This was Vojnović’s second feature film, after he wrote and directed the feature Piran Pirano in 2010, and previously directed a number of short films. In 2012 Goran’s second novel entitled Yugoslavia, my country, was published and this year he again received award Kresnik for the best novel of the year. He received the third Kresnik Award for his third novel The Fig Tree, published in 2016.

SHORT FILMOGRAPHY AND AWARDS

2002 Fužine Rules, short film
2004 Season 90/91, short film
2005 Bon Voyage, Nedime (screenwriter), short film
– The Sarajevo Heart – award for best short film at the Sarajevo Film Festival
– nomination for European Film Academy Award for best European short film
2006 My Son, Sexual Maniac, short film
2008 The Chinese Are Coming, short film
– special mention at the Slovenian Film Festival in Portorož
2010 Piran – Pirano, feature film
– best editing, best actress and best screenplay at the Slovenian Film Festival in Portorož
– best film and best actor at the South-East European Film Festival in Paris
– award for intercultural dialog at the festival in Cottbus
2013 Chefurs Raus!, feature film – best supporting role Award Vesna at the Slovenian Film Festival in Portorož
– best Actor award at the festival in Cottbus
– best director award at the festival in Alexandria
– best screenplay award at the South-East European Film Festival in Paris
– Media Award at the Pristina Film Festival
– 2 golden Roles for 50.000 audiences in Slovenian theatres
2015 City Lights, short film, (screenwriter)
2017 Fountain, short film

CO-PRODUCERS

MB grip
NuFrame
100 d.o.o.
Apapaja (Italy)

TEHNICAL SERVICES

Viba Film Studio

CO-FUNDING

Slovenian Film Centre

DISTRIBUTION

Con film

TEHNICAL DATA

Format: DCP, 1:1,85; 24/fps; color
Sound: 5.1

FESTIVALS AND AWARDS

• Feta del Cinema Di Porretta, (december 2021) Italija
• Dnevi slovenskega filma Beograd, (december 2021) Srbija
• Best Indie Film Award, London, (april 2022), Best film Award
• Filmski festival Izmir – Balkan Panorama, competition program(21.-27.5.2022) Turčija
• Dnevni slovenskega filma Pula, (31.5.-3.6.2022) Hrvatska
• Winners 2022, Budimpešta, Madžarska junij 2022; Best Director Award
• 20th Ischia Film Fetival, Ischia, (25.6.- 2.7.2022) Italy