Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Official Selection – Competition
HALF-SISTER
POLSESTRA
105 Min. / 1:2.39 / Surround 5.1 / Slovenia, North Macedonia, Serbia 2019 / Color
Director Damjan Kozole, actresses Urša Menart and Liza Marijina are available for interviews.
June 13, 2019 – After winning the Best Director Award in 2016 for NIGHTLIFE, Slovenian director Damjan Kozole is coming back to Karlovy Vary International Film Festival with HALF-SISTER (Polsestra). The film will celebrate its world premiere in the Official Selection – Competition.
HALF-SISTER is the story of two estranged half-sisters from the coastal town of Izola. After many years of barely seeing each other, they are forced to share a small apartment in Ljubljana. These two women who want nothing to do with each other deny accepting any similarity between them. Eventually, though, they uncover what they are both refusing to understand.
The film is about people who are incapable of showing affection. It shows that the way we communicate with each other reveals our true desires, fears and frustrations and how arrogant and aggressive behaviour often conceals our own vulnerability. Directing credits of Damjan Kozole include the critically-acclaimed “Spare Parts” (2003) and worldwide released “Slovenian Girl” (2009). “Spare Parts” was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 53th Berlin IFF 2003. He is also a renowned author of many documentary films.
After the successful collaboration on this year’s Berlinale competition title “God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunija”, Slovenian producer Danijel Hočevar (“Slovenian Girl”, “Spare Parts”) again teamed up with co-producer Labina Mitevska as well as with Jelena Mitrović (“Circles”).
For the lead roles in HALF-SISTER Kozole chose Urša Menart (“My Last Year As A Loser”) who cowrote the script together with him and Croatian director Ognjen Sviličić (“Armin”). Her sister is played by Liza Marijina supported by Jurij Drevenšek and Peter Musevski.
HALF-SISTER is produced by Vertigo (Slovenia), Sisters and Brother Mitevski (North Macedonia), Film House Baš Čelik (Serbia), RTV Slovenia in collaboration with FS Viba film and financial support by the Slovenian Film Centre, North Macedonia Film Agency, Film Centre Serbia, Ministry of culture and information of the Republic of Serbia, Creative Europe MEDIA, Eurimages Co-production Development Award, RE ACT Award. The film was developed with the support of Sources 2, CineLink Industry Days – Sarajevo Film Festival and Les Arcs Industry Village – Work in Progress.
