• Debut film

Vesolje med nami

The Space Among Us

  • Fiction Film
  • 100'
youth
  • 2021
  • Slovenia

An abandoned star observatory unites a blind astronomer and a teenager Toby.

The Space Among Us is a coming-of-age drama set in the rural town of Kostanjevica na Krki. Tobi is a 14-year-old boy from Canada, who comes to Slovenia with his mother Kristina to spend the summer with his grandma Gizela. Tobi is not excited to spend his holiday away from his father and his friends. The situation gets even worse when local kids start to bully him because of his skin colour. The only positive thing around is a free-spirited girl named Tjaša.

Director Rahela Jagrič Pirc
Cast Kolja Chilima Budišin, Ivo Barišič, Manca Dorrer
Awards 2 awards
Director's statement

The Space Among Us is a coming-of-age film that introduces us to the mysterious world of space exploration, in which the protagonist realises that certain laws of the universe can also apply to our ev

The Space Among Us is a coming-of-age film that introduces us to the mysterious world of space exploration, in which the protagonist realises that certain laws of the universe can also apply to our everyday lives and interpersonal relations. This realisation helps him to win over a girl, reunite his parents, and defeat a gang of village brats. I see the universe as a universal subject that has driven people towards exploration ever since the dawn of humanity, which is why I hope that everyone will be able to discover a piece of themselves in the film.

Writing

screenwriter
screenwriter

Direction

Production

producer

Cinematography

director of photography

Music

music composer

Editing

film editor

Production design

production designer

Costume design

costume designer

Make-up

key make-up artist

Sound design

sound designer
line producer
sound recordist
sound recordist

production

production
co-production
co-production
co-production
co-production
co-production
in collaboration with
distribution
image post
sound post
technical support
technical support
Award (Young jury)
best film
2023
Vesna Award (Jury Award)
best supporting role (Woman)
2022

Alenka Kraigher kot Jana nam gre v vlogi afektirane malomeščanske vsiljivke na začetku filma strašno na živce. Postopoma spoznamo, da pod to masko živi občutljiva ženska z vsemi slabostmi slehernika.

Festival Screening
2023
Competition Feature Fiction
Festival Screening
2022
Youth film
Festival Screening
2022
Cinedu Teens
Festival Screening
2022
Kids Vision
Festival Screening
2022
Distribution
2022
Alternative title
The Space Among Us (English)
Vesolje ne pozna zahoda ali vzhoda (Slovenian) (working title)
First feature
Yes
Genres
youth
Production countries
Slovenia
Languages
Slovenian (speech)
Technical data
Aspect ratio
1,85:1
Duration and length
100'
Colour
Colour
Sound
5.1
Screening formats
digital DCP
Budget

All financial information is obtained from official sources. I.e. producers or organizations which provided the financial support.

Grants
Javni poziv za sofinanciranje promocije slovenskih filmov v tujini – 2022
2022
source: Slovenski filmski center
RTV Slovenija javni razpis za izdelavo filmov neodvisnih producentov za javno kinematografsko predvajanje v letu 2019
2019
source: RTV Slovenija
366,000.00 EUR
Redni letni javni razpis za sofinanciranje realizacije slovenskih celovečernih igranih prvencev - 2019

Mladinski film in drama o odraščanju prinaša kar nekaj novosti v slovensko kinematografijo. Zgodba je postavljena v fotogenično, na filmu še neizkoriščeno okolje Kostanjevice na Krki, eden od glavnih motivov pripovedi je vesolje, na kar namiguje tudi metaforični naslov filma, ki se nanaša na glavnega junaka, temnopoltega najstnika Tobyja, ki z mamo umetnico pride iz Kanade na počitnice v mamin rojstni kraj ter izkusi na lastni koži in zaradi nje, da obstaja vesolje razlik, a tudi povezav med ljudmi. Scenarij je dramaturško skrbno izdelan in zaokrožen, zgodba je življenjska, brez ekscesov ali pretiravanja, karakterizacija likov in njihovih razmerij realistično izriše tipično vzdušje ruralnega slovenskega mesteca, v katerem se »svetovljanski« Toby na začetku počuti odtujeno, a na koncu po različnih peripetijah s sovrstniki, slepim astronomom in starši na robu ločitve odide domov močnejši in zrelejši. Film, katerega prednost in globina sta v prikazovanju malih dram vsakdanjega življenja.
Tema je univerzalna in relevantna: odraščanje, prepletanje prve ljubezni ter prijateljstva. Težave usklajevanja kariere in družine, ki se kažejo skozi medsebojne odnose, scenarij preplete s strahovi, iskanjem lastne identitete, rasnim vprašanjem ter ekonomsko migracijo in njenimi posledicami, čutiti pa je tudi medgeneracijsko sodelovanje med Tobyem in Hermanom. Izvirno prikazana nestrpnost do drugačnosti, v tem primeru ne samo do tujca, temveč tudi do barve kože, je podprta z odlično
karakterizacijo likov, organskimi dialogi, pristnimi odnosi in verjetnimi zapleti, kar ustvari realno sliko skoraj najstniškega sveta, ki se spogleduje s prvo ljubeznijo. Mlada režiserka se ponaša z raznolikimi izkušnjami na avdiovizualnem področju, predvsem pa se v scenariju čuti njena ljubezen do mladinskega filma ter vesolja, ki je njena skrita strast.
Kanadska koprodukcija deluje organsko zaradi ekonomske migracije, kot tudi zaradi režiserkinega poznavanja te države. Anamorphic format in desaturirana slika obljubljata mladinski film, ki bo klasičen, a svež; glasba sodobnih pop rock bandov kot so Domen Don Holc, Severa, Jakob Kobal, Koala Voice ter Jardier, pa film tipično pripnejo na slovenski prostor in mu dajejo dodano vrednost.

2019
source: Slovenski filmski center
Redni letni javni razpis za sofinanciranje razvoja scenarija na področju slovenskega celovečernega igranega, dokumentarnega in animiranega filma
2016
source: Slovenski filmski center

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