Iluzija (2004)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Svetozar Ristovski

Writers:

Svetozar Ristovski (writer)
Grace Lea Troje (writer)

Release Date:

30 May 2007 (Poland)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

As Macedonia faces its difficult transition, a boy escapes into a world of his own creation.

Plot Keywords:

Bully | Teacher Student Relationship

Awards:

5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Vlado Jovanovski	...	Lazo / Marko's Father
Marko Kovacevic	...	Marko
Jordanco Cevrevski	...	Neighbor (as Danco Cerveski)
Elena Mosevska	...	Angja / Marko's Mother (as Elena Mose)
Slavica Manaskova	...	Fanny / Marko's Sister
Mustafa Nadarevic	...	Teacher
Martin Jovchevski	...	Levi (as Martin Jovcevski)
Nikola Hejko	...	Chernobyl (as Mykola Hejko)
Kiril Gravcev	...	Grafche (as Kiril Grafcev)
Todor Jonovski	...	Lefko
Ivica Mackinoski	...	Cviker
Marija Sikalovska	...	Jasmina
Ivica Bojkovic	...	Urko
Ivica Barbarelov	...	Cobra
Ivan Spasov	...	Romeo

Also Known As:

Mirage (International: English title) (literal title) (USA) (DVD title)
Godini na nadez (Republic of Macedonia) (working title)
Seasons of Hope (Republic of Macedonia) (working title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Republic of Macedonia

Language:

Macedonian | Albanian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Veles, Macedonia

Company:

Small Moves

Trivia:

This was 'Marko Kovacevic''s debut role as an actor. Svetozar Ristovski conceived of Marko's personality as a combination of outward fragility and inner toughness, choosing Kovacevic for his ability to project these dual qualities.

Movie Connections:

References Top Gun (1986)

The Importance of Understanding a Boy

"Mirage" focuses on the experience of a 12-year-old boy living in contemporary Macedonia. This film shows the extraordinary vulnerability of boys -- those beings who will become "our men" -- to the savagery of abuse and hypocrisy, at home and at school, and in society. All of these assaults are, like war itself, direct attacks on all children, of course, but especially on boys -- something we are just beginning to wake up to understanding. Here we see all the promise and hope and persistence that boys offer freely and without strings attached being battered, humiliated and finally overwhelmed by meanness born of resentment, cowardice where there should be tender, savvy guidance, and neglect by distracted, emotionally (and economically) impoverished parents. Macedonia, yes, -- but the setting could have been any neighborhood in the United States that is clouded by poverty. The lead is a awesome performance -- just heartbreaking -- by Marko Kovacevic. We watch this this boy, this surprise in the midst of banality and misery that every boy springs on us and which should delight us and perhaps could save us -- we watch him methodically terrorized and hurt. We see his hope and optimism annihilated. At first, sheer bewilderment at unremitting harshness forces his head to hang low -- again and again -- until, finally, it rears up after "just too much" and he looks at us, and acts. By then he is an early version of Paris (played by Nikola Djuricko), the man he will become, who was able just barely to promise Marko a way out -- but then lets him down. For starters, let this film be seen by every school teacher in the United States, then every father, and if the schools themselves can find the courage, by every kid in junior and senior high school in America.