A compelling black comedy about life in transition and a desperate widow planning her final days. Another excellent performance by Mirjana Karanovic, the true diva of ex-Yugoslavian and contemporary Balkan cinema in an award-winning film that premiered at this year’s Berlinale and won the main prize at goEast Wiesbaden. Requiem for Mrs. J. will have its Dutch premiere in KINO Rotterdam and will be followed by cocktails and performance by wonderful Macedonian/Dutch vocalist and composer Aleksandra Popovska.

SYNOPSIS

Mrs. J. is a middle-aged widow living in a modest post-communist flat in Belgrade with her mother in law and two daughters. After losing her job, she falls into a deep existential crisis. Although film brings an effective, Kafkaesque treatment of life in the Balkans, the fate of Mrs. J., played with great devotion by iconic Serbian actress Mirjana Karanovic, can be easily imagined in other countries affected by the global economic crisis. Moreover, it’s a family drama with a lot of emotion and love. The director points out: “In a way, until we reach death in one moment we cannot start living again.”

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

Berlin International Film Festival, 2017 – Section Panorama Special
goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film, Wiesbaden 2017 – Best Film
Sofia International Film Festival, 2017 – FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film
FEST Belgrade International Film Festival, 2017 – Best Screenplay, Director, Actress, Belgrade Victor for the best film in the national selection

FILM DETAILS

Original title: Rekvijem za gospodju J.
Country: Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Russia, France
Year: 2017
Length: 94 min
Director: Bojan Vuletic
Screenplay: Bojan Vuletic
Editing: Vladimir Pavlovski
Director of Photography: Jelena Stankovic
Cast: Mirjana Karanovic, Jovana Gavrilovic, Danica Nedeljkovic
Producer: Nenad Dukic
Production company: SEE Film Pro; Geopoly Film, Skopje Film Studio, Non-Stop Production, Surprise Alley
Spoken language: Serbian
Subtitles: English