Bako, an alcoholic, decides to seek treatment in a psychiatric hospital. He meets Medea, a drug addict, and Drago, a kind-hearted psychiatric patient who loves chess. A domineering and strict chief physician organises an “Olympic contest” in the hospital, and the protagonists form a team called Hotel Alcohol. After they fail, they escape to the seaside. Because they run out of pharmaceuticals, they take over a pharmacy. There, they each experience their own enlightenment.
The director says the following about the new film: “Since childhood, my life has been closely intertwined with people with disabilities, alcoholics, psychiatric patients, and addicts. Unusual characters. I want to bring their world closer to people and demystify it – in a serious manner but combined with comic elements, as I believe that taboos can be broken through the prism of intelligent humour. What I wish to convey to the viewers is the belief that by judging ‘the marginalised’, people fruitlessly run away from what is essential and simultaneously stray further from themselves. In the world of our three protagonists – Bako, Medea, and Drago – reality is not pleasant, but beauty nevertheless glimmers in it in every moment and in spite of everything. Approaching the ‘different’ and the ‘other’ can be an act of approaching the essence of this world.”
The film will star Gregor Bakovič, Medea Novak, and Dragan Milinović.
The remaining roles will be played by Ivo Barišič, Irena Kovačević, Mojca Fatur, Timon Šturbej, Ivo Ban, and many others.
The film crew includes production manager Nena Janković, director of photography Jure Černec, editor Miloš Kalusek, production designer Vasja Kokelj, makeup designer Tinka Prpar, costume designers Polonca Valentinčič and Elizabeta Njari, and composers Edin Đambić and Niko Novak.
The producer of the film is Slađana Vide, who said the following about the shooting of the film: “This is a continuation of our collaboration with Jan Cvitkovič, whose new film will even expand his characteristically astute and respectful insight into the human condition.”
Anica G. Vitez, Medical Director of the Idrija Psychiatric Hospital, and MSc Klavdija Š. Mažgon, Hospital Director, explain the decision of the hospital management to allow the film Hotel Alcohol to be shot on its premises: »In terms of coping with problems, including mental health issues, each of us encounters difficulties in our daily lives and various interpretations of their understanding. In this context, the film Hotel Alcohol explores profound subjects, and promotes deeper insights and reflections. In an effort to address taboos and prejudices, we at the hospital listened to the vision of the film crew and recognized the message of the film's content. This is our contribution to opening up perspectives of difference and illuminating the way to tolerance.«
The main producer of the film is Staragara. It is co-produced by the Croatian Propeler Film with Boris T. Matić, the German Independent Partners Film with Torsten Neumann, and the Slovenian Solsticij.
The film is financially supported by the Slovenian Film Centre, RTV Slovenija, Nordmedia, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre and Creative Europe MEDIA.
The director and screenwriter Jan Cvitkovič was born in Ljubljana in 1966; he is also known as an actor, writer, and poet. He has directed and written several award-winning features and shorts. The many awards he has received include the Lion of the Future for his debut film Bread and Milk at the Venice Film Festival in 2001, which has won numerous prizes, including the Prešeren Fund Award for direction. Cvitkovič has won more than twenty awards for his 2005 film Gravehopping, including the Best New Director Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival, one of Spain’s most important film events. His 2015 film Šiška Deluxe won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Cottbus Film Festival.
