Notizie

Hana Jušić’s second feature “God Will Not Help” has debuted a trailer ahead of its Locarno premiere.

Selected for its prestigious International Competition and set in the early 20th century, it introduces headstrong Teresa (Manuela Martelli), coming to Croatia from Chile.

Disturbing the peace of a family of shepherds, living in complete isolation amid harsh nature, she’s claiming to be the widow of their late brother. Teresa, who can’t speak a word of their language, is different from local women, dominated by men. Some are intrigued by her – others are quick to call her a witch.

“It’s certainly a much broader phenomenon, but in Croatia we’re witnessing a troubling resurgence of so-called ‘traditional values,’ often couched in nostalgic fantasies of patriarchal order,” Jušić told Variety, describing a “disturbing” ritual taking place in her country’s capital, Zagreb.

“Groups of men kneel and pray for the ‘purity’ of women.

New Europe Film Sales has boarded Croatian writer-director Hana Jušić’s period drama God Will Not Help ahead of its world premiere in the Concorso Internazionale of the Locarno Film Festival, which runs 6–16 August 2025 in Switzerland. The boutique Warsaw-based company also handled international sales on Jušić’s 2016 debut Quit Staring at My Plate, an award winner at Venice Days.

Set in the Dinaric highlands at the dawn of the twentieth century, the film follows Teresa, a Chilean widow who arrives in an isolated community of Croatian shepherds claiming ties to a miner killed overseas; her presence unsettles rigid hierarchies but sparks new possibilities for local women. Principal photography took place from late August to early October 2024 on Mount Dinara, Mount Svilaja and the island of Krk.

Lead role Teresa is played by Chilean actor-filmmaker Manuela Martelli, supported by Ana Marija Veselčić and Filip Đurić. Croatian powerhouse Kinorama produced, with co-production...

Exclusive: New Europe Film Sales has boarded Croatian director and screenwriter Hana Jušić’s drama God Will Not Help ahead of its world premiere in competition at the Locarno Film Festival in August.

It is Jušić’s second solo feature film after multi-award-winning 2016 debut Quit Staring at My Plate, on which New Europe also handled sales. Jušić’s other credits include the collective work Transmania and short films Terrarium (Terarij) and No Wolf Has A House.

Set in the early 20th century, God Will Not Help revolves around the arrival of Chilean woman Teresa in a structured and isolated mountain community of Croatian shepherds, claiming to be the widow of their émigré brother.

Her presence disrupts the dynamic of the close-knit community, sparking unrest but also bringing unexpected freedom.

God Will Not Help was among 17 titles announced on Tuesday as having been selected for Locarno’s International Competition alongside pictures...

The Les Arcs Film Festival has unveiled its selection of work in progress projects for 2019. The event, held at a French ski resort, is a film fest with an industry wing that has become well regarded in its 11 years’ of existence. A total of 18 features will take part this year, seven of which are directed by women (39%) – there were 34% female applicants. None of the selected films have sales agents attached. They are: Anna Nemes’ Beauty Of The Beast (Hungary); Eva Küpper’s Dark Rider; Ekaterina Selenkina’s Figures In The Urban Landscape (Russia), Slávek Horák’s Havel (Czech Republic), Khadar Ahmed’s The Gravedigger; Luàna Bajrami’s The Hill Where Lionesses Roar; Alex Camilleri’s Luzzu (Malta); Alessandro De Toni’s Myjing (Italy); Nabil Ben Yadir’s Praey; Fredrik Louis Hviid and Anders Ølholm’s Shorta (Denmark); Roman Vasyanov’s...

The Croatian producer will receive the Eurimages Co-Production Award during the European Film Awards ceremony on 7 December. This year’s Eurimages Co-Production Award, an award acknowledging the decisive role of co-productions in fostering international exchange handed out as part of the European Film Awards, pays tribute to a woman’s contribution to the success of film co-production. The award will be thus presented during the European Film Awards ceremony on Saturday, 7 December, in Berlin. Croatia's Ankica Jurić Tilić has more than 25 years of film experience. She founded her production company Kinorama in 2003 together with two partners. Her filmography includes 30 feature films, several TV series and many shorts. Her latest, most successful features are the Eurimages-supported films Quit Staring at My Plate by Hana Jušić and The High Sun by Dalibor Matanić. Ankica is also a graduate and a group leader of Eave — European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs, a...

The 27th edition of the Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 9 - 20) will present 200 films from 70 countries.

The Stockholm International Film Festival will kick-off with Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake, followed by a mid-festival ‘middle film’ screening in the shape of Nate Parker’s Birth of A Nation, and will close with Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester By The Sea.

Directors attending the festival include Francis Ford Coppola (who will receive the lifetime achievement award, present a public talk, and screen Apocalypse Now), Ken Loach, Francois Ozon (who receives the festival’s Visionary Award), Ira Sachs, Alice Lowe, Mark Cousins, Anne Fontaine, Gabe Klinger, and many more.

The festival’s main competition line-up is:

A Decent Woman by Lukas Valenta Rinner (Arg, S Kor, Aus)A Taste Of Ink by Morgan Simon (Fr)Albüm by Mehmet Can Mertoğlu (Tur, Fr, Rom)Are We Not Cats by Xander Robin (Us)Birth Of A Nation by [link...

Exclusive: Coming-of-age drama centres on a young woman who seeks solace in sexual encounters.

New Europe Film Sales is to handle Hana Jusic’s Quit Staring At My Plate, which is to play in competition at Venice Days (Aug 31-Sept 10).

The Croatia-Denmark drama marks the feature debut of Croatian filmmaker Jusic and is produced by Kinorama’s Ankica Juric Tilic (The High Sun) in co-production with Beofilm (Teddy Bear).

The film stars newcomer Mia Petričević as Marijana, a young woman who seeks solace in mindless sexual encounters, away from her mother, invalid father and simpleton brother with whom she lives in a tiny flat. Zlatko Burić (Pusher, 2012) co-stars.

The feature was developed through Torino Film Lab and presented at Les Arcs Co-Production Village works in progress section in December.

At Les Arcs, Jusic said: “Our lead is not a professional actress. I met her at the beach and persuaded her to join the film… My characters...

Syrian war documentary set as opening film; Naomi Kawase and Crystal Moselle shorts selected.Scroll down for line-up

Venice Film Festival’s independent strand Venice Days has unveiled the line-up for its 13th edition, which runs alongside the main festival from Aug 31-Sept 10.

There are 11 titles in competition (10 world premieres), six special event screenings and two shorts on show.

Opening the programme will be Denmark-Finland co-pro The War Show [pictured] from co-directors Andreas Dalsgaard and Obaidah Zytoon. A documentary road film chronicling the Syrian uprising and war, the film sees Zytoon sets off on a road trip around Syria, telling the Syrian story through a series of personal intimate stories.

Italian titles in the line-up include Indivisible, Edoardo de Angelis’s story of two Neapolitan Siamese twin sisters who are exploited as a novelty singing act by their father. Rome-based sales agent True Colours boarded the film earlier this year.

The shorts – dubbed the Women’s Tales project...