Sve dzaba

I had the chance to catch the movie at the premiere screening at the Sarajevo Film Festival and it was definitely worth the time.

This Croatian / Bosnian / Serbian co-production seems to have brought together some of the finest actors from the region giving the movie that quite recognizable Yugoslavian flavour in front as well as behind the cameras (one can only guess).

This unpretentious story gave us the chance to see a lot of the actors in an entirely new light and to finally see that they actually CAN act and have been victims of type-casting that made it impossible for them to show what they can really do.

Kudos to the writers on avoiding the question of nationalities and simply dealing with the common everyday folk. This may seem artificial for people who have never been in contact with this region but it is actually a down to earth vision of a land filled with people having no real aims in their life... or do they? Definitely a movie not to be overlooked. (8/10)

Goran lives in present day Bosnia. The country, which experienced serious and violent conflicts in the nineties, has not recovered. The fields are loaded with mines and cannot be farmed and the economy is greatly in jeopardy. Goran, himself, is luckier than most, having a house left to him by his parents. His roommate, however, has lost both arms to the land mines and depends on Goran for many things. Both of them, obviously depressed, drink heavily every evening at a friend's saloon. A tragedy leaves Goran in a quandary. He decides to sell his parent's home and use the money to travel somewhere off in the horizon. By chance, he invests some funds in a roving diner and goes about the countryside, setting up his little restaurant. Unusually, though, Goran has written a sign above the establishment, a sign almost beyond belief. Everything Goran sells is free. This confuses and, subsequently, delights everyone, including a most attractive young lady in a lovely village. Will contentment finally rain down on dear Goran? Despite some comic moments, this fine film is not a comedy but a mixture of fleeting happiness and heartache. Bosnia is still a place of sorrow and, as this movie shows, searching desperately for an improvement in circumstance. Even so, the human spirit is hard to trample down completely. All of the actors in the film deliver their parts very nicely and the locale is exotic and eye-opening to the armchair traveler. The movie has a respectable look and direction to it, too, which was most likely hard to do, given the budget restraints. If you like to wander away from standard Hollywood fare, on occasion, try to locate this foreign film at the usual video outlets. Although it may leave one a bit moist around the eyes, it is a compelling story. Moreover, it may give the viewer insight into an area of the world that still needs help from its neighbors on planet earth.

One of the most boring movies I have ever seen.

I saw it at the Sofia Film festival, and felt like I lost 2hours of my precious life. The movie was so desperately trying to be real that it actually got BORING. The act is poor, the camera is awful, the script is out of control. New plot lines appear all the time leaving the previous open topics unclosed (leaving the audience to decide for itself...woah! that is something we definitely have never seen?!?) I could hardly keep myself from drifting off. I think that movies like this give a bad name to the Balkan productions on the screen. Definitely not going to see another movie form this director!

All for Free, the 2006 winner at the Pula Film Festival directed by Antonio Nuic, is a deeply moving film that explores the intricacies of post-war Bosnia. The plot centers around Goran, a war veteran on a mission to spread joy throughout the country after a brutal incident claims the lives of two of his closest friends.

The film takes its time, allowing audiences to really connect with Goran as he navigates his feelings and searches for a new purpose. Rakan Rushaidat gives a compelling performance as Goran, showcasing the character's fragility and resolve with great skill. Natasa Janjic also stands out as the woman who wins Goran's affection, adding another layer of emotional depth to the narrative.

Nuic's direction is understated yet impactful, letting the characters' feelings and actions propel the story. The cinematography has a somewhat dreary vibe, which could use some improvement.

All for Free isn't your average comedy-drama; it dives into serious topics like grief, loss, and the quest for meaning in a post-war world. Still, it manages to weave in humor and warmth, making it a captivating and ultimately uplifting experience. While some might find the pacing a bit slow, those who enjoy character-driven tales will definitely appreciate this Bosnian treasure.