- Debut film
Cent'anni
- Documentary Film
- 86'
- 2024
- Slovenia, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Austria
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Synopsis
A filmmaker begins a project meant to celebrate her partner’s triumph over a deadly illness, only to discover that the focus has turned to her and the unraveling of their relationship.
After surviving a terminal illness diagnosis, Blaž sets off to a grueling celebratory Giro d’Italia. With him is his partner, filmmaker Maja Doroteja Prelog, tasked with capturing the triumphant biking tour. What was initially planned as a ride from the Dolomites to Sicily to reclaim control of one’s own life and celebrate overcoming their greatest fear, soon becomes a journey of self-discovery for the couple. The focus shifted and now Maja’s experience and needs hold the lens. While the lens of the camera turns inward, the relationship unravels, revealing a brave examination of self and what it truly means to be together. CENT’ANNI is an emotional rollercoaster with heart-wrenching confessions and poetic visuals in the midst of beautiful natural sceneries, an unfiltered testament to love and change.
Director
Director's statement
I never expected this film to be about me. In 2018, my partner of eighteen years asked me to direct a documentary about his personal Giro d’Italia, celebrating his recovery from leukaemia. After years
I never expected this film to be about me. In 2018, my partner of eighteen years asked me to direct a documentary about his personal Giro d’Italia, celebrating his recovery from leukaemia. After years of fear and isolation, I leapt at the chance. But beneath the surface of this seemingly straightforward documentary, another narrative would emerge—one that mirrored the complexities of our relationship. Our triumphal project hit an emotional roadblock, and both film and relationship unraveled, in real time, on camera and in front of our crew. Personally, I was devastated. Professionally, I wondered: is this what I have to show the world? Before cancer even entered the picture, we were dealing with issues. His bottled-up frustrations and random explosions had turned me into a passive bystander long before I became his caregiver. Realising that felt like a punch in the gut. Though it felt like a betrayal, I had to examine my needs and experience. Cent’anni is therefore a raw, honest and unflinching history of a formative relationship with its painful complexities and contradictions.
Gallery (3)
Videos (1)
Cast
Credits order
Crew
Writing
Direction
Production
Cinematography
Editing
Production design
Sound design
Sound department
Post production/editorial department
Music department
Organizations
production
Awards
important awards
In this intimate documentary diary, which dissects the dynamics of a romantic relationship, the film itself becomes a protagonist. When in the midst of vast landscapes, we find ourselves in the tight grip of emotions, the frame and a Zastava 750, questions about the relationship between documentary and fiction, the real and the fictional, what we see and what remains hidden, are raised in new and unexpected ways.
Special award for promoting gender equality. The monetary prize in the amount of €7,500 is sponsored by Mastercard.
Finding the right balance and the essence of the story to convey a painful personal experience to the audience without stereotypes and superfluous information was undoubtedly a challenge. The editor rose to it brilliantly with the selection and arrangement of the material, skilfully linking all levels of the story – personal, familial, moral and spiritual. That said, this poignant film would not exist without directorial input in the editing room.
Our Vesna for Special Achievement goes to Maja Doroteja Prelog’s Cent’anni for the bravery of its narrative. Without inhibitions, the film shows an intimate relationship that develops through the unpredictable twists and turns of life. A film becomes a relationship, and a relationship becomes a film.
Cinelink Industry Days. 20.000 € of post-production services.
Cannes Market Award. Jury statement: “A courageous step in an unknown journey that dives into a couple’s struggle through a fight for life and love, with a promising cinematic approach.”
The award includes a €10,000 ($11,800) cash prize and professional project follow-up.
Screenings
Extended data
Technical data
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Budget
All financial information is obtained from official sources. I.e. producers or organizations which provided the financial support.
Comitee: Rado Likon, Matevž Luzar, Mateja Valentinčič, Igor Prassel (alternate) Explication
Film s presunljivo tematiko in avtobiografsko podlago ima zagotovljeno mednarodno festivalsko distribucijo, saj se ukvarja z univerzalno prepoznavnim eksistencialnim vprašanjem življenja in smrti. Režiserka Maja Prelog s kamero spremlja ekstremni kolesarski podvig svojega partnerja Blaža, ki se na ta način bori s hudo, neozdravljivo boleznijo. Kolesarski maraton po vzponih in spustih profesionalnega tekmovanja Giro d'Italia prek čudovitih italijanskih pokrajin do mesteca na jugu Italije, kjer živi največ stoletnikov, postane intimni dialog dveh, ki se ljubita in hočeta živeti. Film ceste, ki je obenem kronika Blaževe bolezni in ultimativni izkaz njune ljubezni, ima veliko neznank, ki lahko vplivajo na razvoj pripovedi, a to ga dela le še bolj avtentičnega, poetičnega in brutalnega. Ekstremni športni podvig kot prispodoba smisla življenja.
Scenarij ima močno strukturo, z ravno pravšnjim odmikom, da sentimentalnost umanjka. Točke novih razkritij so premišljeno pozicionirane, zato je suspenz prisoten ves čas, umirja pa ga čudovita narava, ki služi kot metafora življenja. Dialogi in monologi so čisti ter globoki, predvsem pa izjemno iskreni. Projekt je dobro pripravljen in domišljen, konstruirana in improvizirana filmska forma se organsko prepletata, zvok kot edini nosilec retrospektivne zgodbe je dobra rešitev. Preplet različnih tem znotraj velike teme življenja (narava, kolesarjenje, bolezen, dolgoživost, ljubezen skozi odnos in ustvarjanje ter svoboda) nas presunljivo živo popeljejo na popotovanje življenja in smrti, dragocenosti tega trenutka ter zavedanja naše minljivosti. Gre za izrazito avtorski projekt scenaristke, režiserke, direktorice fotografije in montažerke Maje Prelog v soavtorstvu z Blažem Murnom.
Comitee: Klemen Dvornik, Vilma Štritof Čretnik, Nejc Gazvoda, Žanina Mirčevska (alternate) Explication
Cent'anni je dokumentarni projekt režiserke Maje Prelog, ki za svojo zgodbo vzame pretresljivo situacijo mladega para (režiserke in Blaža, ki je tudi glavni junak filma), ki je korenito spremenila življenje ustvarjalnega tandema, a film se izogne vsem pastem morebitne patetike ali zlorabe hude življenjske preizkušnje. Koncept filma se bere poetično, priložene fotografije kažejo, da je ta zgodba rasla v njiju že od njenega nesrečnega začetka. Blažev športni podvig (kolesarjenje v vasico stoletnikov v Italijo) je boj z boleznijo, s smrtjo, boj s samim seboj, je visoko iztegnjen sredinec svetu, in to na najbolj izčiščen, filmski način, brez patetike, brez molariziranja, samo boleče intimna zgodba dveh ustvarjalcev, ki svojo bolečino izlivata v medij, ki sta mu predana in prek katerega bosta to zgodbo pripeljala do nas. Majini dnevniški zapiski dajejo jasno vizijo, kako bo film izgledal - zmes narave, surovih in krutih informacij ter intimnih trenutkov. Dokumentarec Cennt'anni je polnokrvni avtorski dokumentarec, vzorno pripravljen, kljub boleči bližini avtorice do subjekta ne izgubi jasne vizure, distance, celo humorja, mehkobe, od začetka do konca zavedajoč se, kam pelje. Vse pomembne informacije so podane vizualno, inovativen je tudi v uporabi zvoka. Univerzalnost teme ni vprašljiva, možne so koprodukcije, film je zagotovo zanimiv tudi za mednarodno javnost.
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