Golemata voda (2004)

Director:

Ivo Trajkov

Writers:

Zhivko Chingo (novel) and
Ivo Trajkov (writer) ...

Release Date:

21 April 2005 (Czech Republic)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

An ailing communist reflects on his childhood in Stalinist Yugoslavia. |

Plot Keywords:

Communism | Serbia | Prison | Betrayal | Labor Camp

Awards:

5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Saso Kekenovski	...	Lem
Maja Stankovska	...	Isak Keyten
Mitko Apostolovski	...	Warden
Verica Nedeska	...	Komrade Olivera
Risto Gogovski	...	Bellman
Nikolina Kujaca	...	Verna
Meto Jovanovski	...	Old Lem
Aleksandar Ribak	...	Metodija Griskoski
Vladimir Svetiev	...	Sekule, geography teacher
Petar Mircevski	...	Dervutoski, gym teacher
Goce Deskoski	...	Klimoski
Marina Cakalova	...	Lence
Zoran Popovski	...	Nikolce
Oliver Trifunov	...	Spasko
Rade Serbedzija	...	Old Lem (voice)

Also Known As:

Големата вода (Republic of Macedonia)
Der Tag, als Stalins Hose verschwand (Germany)
The Great Water (International: English title)
Velká voda (Czech Republic)

Runtime:

Czech Republic:93 min | USA:93 min | Argentina:93 min

Country:

Republic of Macedonia | Czech Republic | USA | Germany

Language:

Macedonian | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Argentina:13 | Czech Republic:12

Filming Locations:

Bitola, Macedonia

Company:

Artis 3

Trivia:

The final cast was selected after screening several thousand children from all over Macedonia.

Magically engaging

Through the witty words of the original recount in the book, as said before, Voemata Goda was originally intended for children. The magic in the book, performed by young Isaac, turns the adaptation for screen into a very different matter.

The story has been already told in some other comments. I guess it's better to give more ideas on other issues that are crucial to the mise-en-scène for the work.

First of all, the absolutely perfect team work of Czechs, Macedonians, Dannish and people from some other countries who contributed to the making of this film. Their superb work is duly translated to the finished film. It's not that often that the use of sound is so chilling and perfect as it is in this film.

The children actors who take the load of the lead roles are perfect. I think somebody said before that because of the almost absence of dialogue, their "being there" in front of the cameras is enough. Really, this is misunderstanding the dramatic effort needed to convey feelings, states of mind and many other facets of the psyche, especially for a child. I should say that their work is believable, natural, engrossing and, in many moments, chilling, never cheesy or overacted. Their work reminisces of certain horrifying films related with the situation depicted here, as in Tòrzok, where the lead role lies on the back of a very young child and makes the film all the more convincing, because he ACTS the way his character is supposed to behave.

This film, as in the book, has many fictional, intimate and surreal scenes. They are committed to the screen very convincingly. The portrayal of a camp from the period it's set in, is accurate.

Maybe there are people who can vote a meager 1 to this film. It's respectable. But, objectively, after reading the comments, it is clear that some people shouldn't be allowed to have any opinion on anything if there's such a deep ignorance that makes them think that. Ignorance doesn't make reality disappear.

This is not a small film. Thank God these films are oriented to people with knowledge of contemporary history and not to the big American audiences.