Filmofil.ba sa ponosom predstavlja kritike mladih autora nastale u okviru ovogodišnjeg programa Talents Sarajevo na 22. Sarajevo Film Festivalu

Piše: Petra Meterc Prevod sa engleskog: Bojana Pušara

Fox se, prema svom trajanju, svrstava u kratke filmove. Ipak, što se tiče same radnje, vješto strukturirano pripovijedanje i poigravanje vremenskim intervalima stvaraju utisak dugometražnog filma.  Ovo je film o odrastanju i predstavlja blistav primjer takve vrste filmova. Filmski zaplet je predstavljen svađom najstarijeg sina (Nikos Zegkinoglou) sa svojom majkom (Nota Tserniafski), koja shrvana ovim sukobom izlazi iz kuće i uplakana odlazi automobilom. Izuzetno je bitna scena koja predstavlja prelaz sa majčinog plača dok traži cigaretu na ptičju perspektivu izuzetno opasnog puta. U pozadini je vesela muzička podloga "Modern Love" Davida Bowiea, koja je u potpunom kontrastu sa radnjom. Nagli prekid ovog kadra simbolizuje nagli prekid Stephanosove mladosti.

Gledalac je toga svjestan prije svih aktera filma. Radnja nas vraća u porodičnu kuću, gdje svo troje djece − najstariji sin tinejdžer zajedno sa mlađim bratom (Lyssandros Kouroubalis) i sestrom (Mihaela Holeza) − provode vrijeme za koje će se ispostaviti da je njihov posljednji bezbrižan dan. Kamera ih prati kako plešu oko kuće i prskaju se vodom na suncu. Vidimo međusobno preplitanje sunčeve svjetlosti i kapljica vode, dok čujemo smijeh i vesele povike. Sve to zajedno ostavlja utisak ekstatične zaigranosti. Pridružuje im se i Stephanosova djevojka (Katerina Zisoudi), koja pojačava utisak da je taj dan lijep i lagan, a nije slučajno što se scene tinejdžerske seksualnosti odvijaju u majčinom krevetu.

Ovo raspoloženje presijeca izvjesna nelagoda koja je stalno prisutna u pozadini i gledalac je pripremljen za tegoban kraj. Izrazi lica najstarijeg sina u krupnim kadrovima odaju napetost zbog svađe sa majkom i pokazuju nam potisnutu frustraciju zbog uloge druge najstarije osobe u porodici. Ovo su upečatljivi podsjetnici za gledaoce da će životi svih aktera radnje filma uskoro da se promijene. Dok scene zajedničkog vremena provedenog u dvorištu djeluju bezvremenski, tenziju stvara telefon koji neprekidno zvoni, ali na koji se niko ne javlja. Jasno je da sve te pozive obavlja majka i pošto gledalac do tog trenutka samo djelimično zna šta joj se dogodilo, raste tenzija, jer želimo da saznamo zbog čega telefon toliko zvoni. Motiv smrti predstavljen već dva puta ukazuje na najgori mogući ishod.

Mlada grčka režiserka, Jacqueline Leutzou, takođe učesnica na Berlinale Talents Short Film Station 2015 sa filmom Fox, napisala je na oficijelnoj stranici Foxa da je odlučila da snimi ovaj film nakon svog prvog susreta sa smrću u želji da prenese publici osjećaj kada znamo da će se nešto loše dogoditi. Uspjela je u tome. Dok mnogi filmovi obrađuju motiv tuge, posljednji trenuci prije saznanja da je bliska osoba umrla nisu često prikazani u filmu, a posebno ne ovako uspješno. U porodici će se sve uskoro promijeniti i nekoliko pažljivo strukturiranih kadrova iz ptičje perspektive koji prikazuju djecu kako obavljaju uobičajene svakodnevne radnje, implicira da ih neko posmatra sa nekog izvanzemaljskog mjesta dok provode jedan dan potpuno sami, jer će takav uskoro biti svaki njihov dan.

Fillmofil.ba proudly represents the works of young critics done in program Talents Sarajevo of 22nd Sarajevo Film Festival

Fox: Before the storm

Written by: Petra Meterc Translation: Bojana Pušara

Fox may be a short film concerning its length, but as far as the plot is concerned, the skilful structure of the narrative line and the manipulating of time, it feels as if we are watching a feature. It's a coming-of-age film in which the growing up part comes in a flash. The film kicks off with the oldest son of the family (Nikos Zegkinoglou) getting into a fight with his single mother (Nota Tserniafski), who, crushed by the argument, then drives off in tears. The scene that switches from her crying while searching for a cigarette to the aerial view of the twisting road, perfectly contrasted by David Bowie's happy-go-lucky soundtrack material "Modern Love" playing in the background, ends in a moment of inattentiveness. This sudden cut represents the end of the oldest son’s youth as well.

However, it is the viewer who possesses the sole knowledge of that. The film jumps back to the house where all of the three children, the oldest adolescent son together with his child brother (Lyssandros Kouroubalis) and sister (Mihaela Holeza) spend what turns out to be their last carefree summer day. The hand-held camera follows them in dancing around the house and sprinkling with water in the sun, with the interplay of sunbeams and water drops, as well as a mixture of laughter and background chirrup adding to the ecstatic playfulness. The children are joined by the oldest son's girlfriend (Katerina Zisoudi), adding to the “teenage film” feel of an easy-going vibe including adolescent sexuality meaningfully taking place in the mother's bed.

This mood is juxtaposed by a certain sense of unease that keeps looming in the background and the viewer is anticipating the rough end. We can see that in the oldest son’s face, he is obviously tense due to the early argument, which is emphasized with close-ups of his face. These show his suppressed frustration of not wanting to be appointed the role of the second adult in the family. There are clues for the viewers that work as strong reminders that the lives of all of them will be changed soon. While the scenes of dancing and playing around in the garden seem timeless, suspense is built by interruptions of the phone ringing and it being ignored. It is clear that the calls are coming from the mother’s phone, and since the viewers only have partial knowledge of what happened, this heightens the suspense of wanting to know what the phone call is about. Yet the motif of death appearing twice suggests the worst scenario.

The young Greek director Jacqueline Leutzou, also a participant of the Berlinale Talents Short Film Station 2015 with Fox, wrote on the film's official website that she decided to make the film after she experienced death for the first time, wished to convey the feeling of sensing that something tragic is on its way and she succeeds in doing that. While many movies deal with grief, the last moments before knowing that someone close to you is gone aren’t something often explored in such a well-structured manner. The family will change soon and a few carefully framed bird's perspective views of the children doing usual family things seem to imply that someone may already be observing them from an unearthly place, while they spend the day alone, as they will in the near future.