Jas sum od Titov Veles (2007)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Teona Strugar Mitevska

Writer:

Teona Strugar Mitevska (writer)

Release Date:

11 September 2008 (Hungary)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Awards:

8 wins

Cast

Labina Mitevska	...	Afrodita
Ana Kostovska	...	Slavica
Nikolina Kujaca	...	Sapho
Dzevdet Jasari	...	Aco (as Xhevdet Jashari)
Peter Musevski	...	Viktor
Jovica Mihajlovski	...	Doctor
Mitko Apostolovski	...	Barber
Trajce Davcev	...	Young Barber Boy
Dragisa Dimitrievski	...	Protestor
Alexandar Georgiev	...	Factory Guard
Keti Doncevska-Ilic	...	Marija
Ruiz Mustafa	...	Nurse
Jordanka Todorova	...	Good Looking Nurse
Kiril Korunovski	...	Father
Petar Gorko	...	Greek Embassy Guard 1

Also Known As:

I Am from Titov Veles (International: English title)
Je suis de Titov Veles (France)
Sem iz Titovega Velesa (Slovenia)

Runtime:

102 min (Sarajevo Film Festival)

Country:

Republic of Macedonia | Slovenia | Belgium | France

Language:

Macedonian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Dolby 5.1)

Certification:

France:U (with warning)

Filming Locations:

Macedonia

Company:

Vertigo/Emotionfilm

Trivia:

Macedonia's 2009 Academy Awards official submission to Foreign-Language Film category.

bleak

I have mixed feelings about this film. While I was watching it, I didn't like it. Now I am thinking that maybe I have few objective reasons to consider it poor. The author seems to achieve her goals well.

My main regret was that the theme is shared with many recent Balkan films: yet another feature hammering on about decay of the society, the general failure of human lives here, the inadequacy of people to forge their destinies. This squalid perception of the present day seems to be spread in all (slavic) countries on the Balkans. I get enough of it in the every day conversations, I'd prefer if not all our film productions focused on it too.

This particular film is about three sisters in their 20s, left in their poor town Veles to take care of each other after their father had died years ago. Each is looking to find a future for herself in a different way. However, each of the ways involves escaping from the current reality. The oldest is looking for a marriage at any cost, the pretty - to emigrate to rich Greece, at any cost, the mute who is the protagonist escapes in her dreams (but she suffers most).

These three sisters are little mirrors of the Balkan people, thoroughly unhappy with our present situations, thoroughly feeling helpless and trampled on. The other focus of the film is about the patriarchal bringing up still characteristic for that generation, and how it shapes the woman to be quite vulnerable.

I suspect it is a success for the film-makers, that the managed to portray the lovely city of Veles as having such a gloomy atmosphere. Similarly, the sisters live in a hundred years old house that instead of charming feels rather depressing. The protracted unfolding of the story is also intentional to put us in even lower mood. The only light comes from the the lyrical character of the mute youngest sister, who is our story-teller.