25-11-2020

FNE at Black Nights FF 2020: Slovenian/Italian Coproduction Sanremo Premieres at Black Nights

By
    DOP Peter Zeitlinger and director Miroslav Mandić on the set of Sanremo DOP Peter Zeitlinger and director Miroslav Mandić on the set of Sanremo Copyright: Silvia Zeitlinger

    TALLINN: Miroslav Mandić’s sixth feature Sanremo, a drama about aging, premieres in competition at the 24th Black Nights Film Festival, which runs through 29 November 2020. This Slovenian/Italian coproduction was filmed in Slovenia and Italy in the autumn of 2019.

    The aging Bruno and Duša both suffer from dementia. As clients of a home for the elderly, they meet occasionally, spend time together, but forget everything until their next encounter. Surrounded by other regulars of the home, they continue approaching only each other, over and over again.

    “My question as a film director is: Can we overcome the aging process, especially if it is accompanied by a serious diagnosis? How is it possible that she, after having a nice conversation, chooses to talk to him again? Or how does he want to get to know her again, although there are many other women around? I was interested in the unusual atmosphere in an elderly home, which fluctuates between poetic, age-related self-knowledge and childhood naivety from persons who can no longer take care of themselves,” says Mandić, who also penned the script.

    The film stars renowned Slovenian actors Sandi Pavlin, Silva Čušin and Boris Cavazza.

    Sanremo was produced by Miroslav Mandić and Nina Robnik through Slovenia’s Filmostovje in coproduction with RTV Slovenija and Marta Zacarron through Italian Quasar Multimedia. Sandra Ržen is the executive producer. The project was supported by the Slovenian Film Centre with 99,800 EUR. The budget was 960,060 EUR.

    Miroslav Mandić was born in 1959 in Sarajevo, where he studied Comparative Literature. He graduated from the Columbia University in NYC (MFA Screenwriting/Directing). After a short film career in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the war prompted him to migrate to the Czech Republic. He is currently based in Slovenia.

    Production Information:

    Producer: Filmostovje (Slovenia)
    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    Coproducers:
    RTV Slovenija (Slovenia)
    Quasar Multimedia (Italy)

    Credits:
    Director: Miroslav Mandić
    Screenwriter: Miroslav Mandić
    DoP: Peter Zeitlinger
    Editor: Andrej Nagode
    Production design: Dušan Milavec, Barbara Kapelj
    Costume designer: Polonca Valentinčič
    Make-up artist: Anita Ferčak
    Cast: Sandi Pavlin, Silva Čušin, Boris Cavazza, Mojca Funkl, Lara Komar