Iluzija (2004)

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:

Tome Angelovski, Grace Lea Troje and Dejan Boskov appear as customers in a cafe where Marko is peddling stolen perfumes. Troje was also co-writer with Svetozar Ristovski for the film, while Angelovski and Boskov were location managers.

Movie Connections:

References Top Gun (1986)

the best Balkan movie made in 2004

i've seen this movie recently, on Belgrade Film Festival (FEST), and i was delighted. although nobody expected it (numerous movies were shown on FEST, from across the world, some of them hailed by film critics - like "Vera Drake", directed by Mike Leigh), "Iluzija" was the best film shown of festival, and not only because of the "clever metaphors", or actors performances (although both of this elements are excellently controlled), but because of straight, concentrated, well-narrated story, with clear and precise beginning-middle-end structure, and with lots of details that are creating dangerous and mean universe (picture of Balkan under NATO "protectors") of the movie. of course, viewer who knows facts about Macedonia-Balkan-ex-Yugoslavia can see some of the best artistic comments on reality of the countries in so-called "transition", and also political-incorrectness (if you consider the critic of EU-USA attitude on "small countries" to be uncorrected). and when you are thinking about the movie in-whole, you can realize why's there a Nietzsche quotation on the movies beginning. but, there's a lot of philosophy in it, so we are leaving that story for another time, and another place...