The Serbian/French/German/Croatian/Slovenian/Bosnian coproduction has already been awarded at international film festivals, including Berlin (Ecumenical Jury Award, Panorama Audience Award), FEST (Best Actor, FEDEORA Jury Award) and Pula Film Festival (Arena Award for the Best Actor, Audience Award). Cologne-based The Match Factory has sold distribution rights (theatrical, video, on demand, ancillary) to the USA. The deal guarantees distribution in minimum five cities across the USA and has been signed for the period of ten years.
Father is the story of a man who sees his children taken away because of poverty, a story of a humiliated man who, through his journey from his village in the south of Serbia to the capital city, out of protest, dignity and desperation, becomes a hero.
Srđan Golubović co-wrote the script together with Ognjen Sviličić and Danis Tanović, and he is also the coproducer. The cast is led by Goran Bogdan. The film was shot on location in Eastern Serbia and Belgrade over 60 shooting days.
The film's domestic release in Serbia was stopped due to COVID-19 after only two weekends, but in those 10 days it got around 13,000 admissions. The release resumed in August 2020. It was the second best attended film of the year in Serbia.
The film was produced by Jelena Mitrović through Baš Čelik (Serbia), Danijel Hočevar through Vertigo (Slovenia), Čedomir Kolar, Marc Baschett and Danis Tanović through ASAP Films (France), Alexander Ris through Neue Mediopolis Film (Germany), Boris T. Matić and Lana Matić through Propeler Film (Croatia), and Amra Bakšić and Adis Đapo through SCCA/pro.ba (Bosnia and Herzegovina), in coproduction with ZDF Arte (Germany) and Arte France (France). The 1.7 m EUR budget was supported by Film Center Serbia, the Ministry of Culture and Information of Republic of Serbia, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, CNC – Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, Ministère Français de la Culture et de la Communication - Institut Français – Aides aux Cinémas du Monde, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Slovenian Film Centre, the Sarajevo Film Fund, Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA of the European Union and Viba Film.
Srdan Golubović previously directed The Trap / Klopka (2007) and Circles / Krugovi (2013), both produced by Baš Čelik. He has received a number of accolades, including Special Jury Prize in the World Cinema – Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.
Production Information:
Producer:
Baš Čelik (Serbia)
Vertigo (Slovenia)
ASAP Films (France)
Neue Mediopolis Film (Germany)
Propeler Film (Croatia)
SCCA/pro.ba (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Coproducers:
ZDF Arte (Germany)
Arte France (France)
Credits:
Director: Srđan Golubović
Screenwriters: Srđan Golubović, Ognjen Sviličić
DoP: Aleksandar Ilić
Editor: Petar Marković
Production Designers: Goran Joksimović, Predrag Petrović
Costume Designer: Ljiljana Petrović
Make-up Artist: Marinela Spasenović
Composer: Mario Schneider
Sound Designers: Erik Mischijew, Corinna Fleig
Cast: Goran Bogdan, Boris Isaković, Nada Šargin, Muharem Hamzić, Ajla Šantić, Milica Janevski, Vahid Džanković, Jovo Maksić
