Before the Rain (1994)

In the republic of Macedonia, amid war in Bosnia, an Albanian girl being hunted by Christians is offered protection by a monk who has taken a vow of silence.

Director:

Milcho Manchevski

Writer:

Milcho Manchevski

Stars:

Katrin Cartlidge, Rade Serbedzija, Grégoire Colin

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 19 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Grégoire Colin	...	Kiril (as Gergoire Colin)
Josif Josifovski	...	Father Marko
Boris Delcevski	...	Petre
Dejan Velkov	...	Mate
Kiril Ristoski	...	Father Damjan
Mladen Krstevski	...	Trifun
Dzemail Maksut	...	Kuzman
Labina Mitevska	...	Zamira
Mile Jovanovski	...	Priest Singing at Funeral
Milica Stojanova	...	Aunt Cveta
Petar Mircevski	...	Zdrave
Rade Serbedzija	...	Aleksander
Ljupco Bresliski	...	Mitre
Igor Madzirov	...	Stojan
Kiril Psaltirov	...	Mome

Storyline

The circularity of violence seen in a story that circles on itself. In Republic of Macedonia, during war in Bosnia, Christians hunt an ethnic Albanian girl who may have murdered one of their own. A young monk who's taken a vow of silence offers her protection. In London, a photographic editor who's pregnant needs to talk it out with her estranged husband and chooses a toney restaurant. She wants permanence with her lover, a prize-winning Macedonian photographer just back from Bosnia, changed by the violence. He leaves abruptly for his village; he's not visited it in 16 years. There he tries to ignore bitter divisions between his Orthodox brethren and local Albanians, then tries to transcend them.

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Plot Keywords:

endless loop | violence | monk | albanian | photographer | 

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Taglines:

Once You Know The Faces You Will Begin To Understand The Story

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official website

Country:

Republic of Macedonia France UK

Language:

Macedonian English Albanian French

Release Date:

24 February 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Before the Rain

Filming Locations:

Skopje, Macedonia

Box Office

Budget:

$1,900,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$763,847

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aim, British Screen Productions, European Co-production Fund

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The New York Times include Before the Rain in the "1,000 Best Films Ever Made."

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Goofs

In the restaurant, over 30 shots are fired with a pistol without reloading.

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Quotes

Father Marko: Time never dies. The circle is never round.

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Crazy Credits

The film begins with a pan over a Macedonian sky covered by dark clouds at dusk. We hear sounds of thunder, when an epigraph from the novel "Dervis i smrt" (The Dervish and Death) by Mesa Selimovic appears on the screen, while a voice is heard reading it: "With a shriek birds flee across the black sky, people are silent, my blood aches from waiting". Afterwards, the titles appear.

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Connections

References Psycho (1960)

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Soundtracks

At The Restaurant
Composed By Anastasia
Arranged and Produced by Anastasia
© 1994 PolyGram
(P) 1994 PolyGram

User Reviews

Perfect Definition & Explanation of the Macedonian Problem

This film by Milcho Manchevski is the ideal when talking about explaining and defining the Macedonian problem. I am Macedonian but I live in Germany. So I think I have an overview so that I am able to criticize. The problem between the ethnic groups in Macedonia go around in circles. But in the end it turns out that the circle goes round like a ferry wheel. Everything is happening again and again. The circle is not round though. In every end there is a change. A change which always makes the new beginning worse. In a way it is like a spiral. And Manchevski is smartly telling three stories. They are not linear, but in a way they come close to what the problem really is like. With the last episode he connects the three stories, and you can feel the message - his message.

Unfortunately this film was quite popular only in Europe and I think even in the US, but in Macedonia it was rarely seen by the people. I think if every single Macedonian Citizen had seen and understood this movie, it would be much easier to solve the Macedonian problem today. Because what it says is that we ourselves kill each other. Because of hatred and ethnic principles we force ourselves to fight against each other. And that is exactly why it is leading to nowhere. Because it is a circle...and the circle is not round. And one day, when the spiral is at its end, it's going to be too late.