19/01/2023 - Serbian writer-director Nina Ognjanović's first feature is a thriller with a non-linear narrative and comedy overtones, set in a remote mountain village

The first feature by Serbian writer-director Nina Ognjanović, Where the Road Leads [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], is set to have its premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition of Slamdance 2023. Cineuropa exclusively brings you the trailer for the film.

The picture is set in a small mountain village, where the close-knit community is surprised by the appearance of a stranger (Zlatan Vidović, from Loan Shark [+see also:
film review
interview: Nemanja Ćeranić
film profile]), whose arrival coincides with a power outage. It might be the construction of a new highway nearby, but no one knows for sure, and the villagers suspect the new guy has something to do with it.

The villagers are suspicious, as out-of-towners have visited them before and they have always had an agenda. Then, after a night of drinking and feasting, a rumour starts going around that two local troublemakers are looking to kill him. The only person who seems to take their threat seriously is Jana (newcomer Jana Bjelica), who will do everything in her power to prevent it. The stranger is her only ticket out of here.

The thriller with a non-linear narrative and comedy overtones is Ognjanović's graduation film, produced by David Jovanović for Pointless Films, in co-production with the Belgrade Faculty of Dramatic Arts. It was shot over 17 days in the remote village of Topli Do, in south-eastern Serbia, which, besides being hard to reach, also lacks internet and mobile-phone coverage. The production ran into numerous problems, including the actual construction of a new road.

“It is a miracle we managed to make this film,” says Ognjanović. “It was like the Wild West in its wildest years. The locals didn’t like us at first, but when they saw just how persistent and desperate we were, they eventually came around. Without them, we would have drowned.”

In addition to Bjelica and Vidović, the cast is made up of a combination of young actors, such as Pavle Čemerikić, Ninoslav Ćulum, Igor Filipović and Marta Bogosavljević, and established names and iconic veterans such as Vladimir Maksimović, Svetozar Cvetković and Eva Ras.

Vladislav Andrejević lensed the picture and Rastko Ubović edited it, while Ana Krstajić composed the score and Neva Joksimović took care of the complicated production design.

The film world-premieres at Slamdance on 22 January. Watch our exclusive trailer below: