World premiere of director Kukla's debut Fantasy in Locarno

This year's Locarno Film Festival will take place from August 6 to 16. The debut Fantasy by screenwriter and director Kukla has been included in the competition program of Contemporary Filmmakers.

Her latest short feature film Sisters has won several awards, including the main prize at the Clermont Ferrand Film Festival in 2021. The film's premiere in Locarno will be on Friday, August 8 at 11:30, in the presence of the film crew. The film is a Slovenian and North Macedonian co-production.

Fantasy tells the story of Mihrije, Sina and Jasna - best friends in their early twenties. Their relaxed, almost boyish lifestyle often brings them into conflict with the boys in the neighborhood. When they meet Fantasy, a young transgender woman, the space between them begins to change. New questions, desires, and cracks in relationships come with it.

Despite her strong views against romantic relationships, Sina becomes involved in a love affair. Jasna, caught between an unhappy mother and an unfulfilling job, decides to take a job on a cruise ship in France. Mihrije runs away with Fantasy to North Macedonia to avoid an arranged marriage, while her feelings for Fantasy grow stronger. After Mihrije returns to Slovenia, the girls find themselves estranged. Each finds herself on the threshold of adulthood, faced with the question “Who am I when there is no one left to define me”?

The director says about her film: “I am grateful that Fantasy is starting its journey in Locarno – a festival that opens up space for brave stories and authentic voices. The film is not only a story about three young women who face social expectations and search for their own identity, but also an ode to courage, freedom and love in a world that often does not accept difference. I believe that the stories of characters who are too often ignored or marginalized reflect the complexity of our times. Their journeys remind us that true strength lies in accepting ourselves and connecting with others—even when the world around us seems divided."

The film stars: Sarah Al Saleh, Alina Juhart, Mia Skrbinac and Mina Milovanović. The film also features: director of photography Lazar Bogdanović, composer Relja Ćupić, editor Lukas Miheljak, sound designer Julij Zornik, set designer Maja Šavc, costume designer Damir Raković and make-up designer Tinka Prpar.

The film is produced by Lija Pogačnik, Barbara Daljavec and Vlado Bulajić from the production company December, who said upon the film's inclusion: "Director Kukla is an author of the present, who will undoubtedly mark the cinematography of the future. She is radical and bold in her expression, but at the same time she is distinguished by sincere creative curiosity and deep sensitivity to the world around her. The inclusion of her feature debut in the competition program of Contemporary Filmmakers at the 78th Locarno International Film Festival significantly marks the beginning of her creative journey. This is also a recognition to the entire film crew, who with their dedicated work co-created Kukla's story about the position of young women and the social expectations that surround them. The inclusion of the film Fantasy in such an important international festival also means an important step for contemporary Slovenian cinema."

The co-producer is Dejan Krajčevski from the production company Krug Film, and the associate producers are Peter H. Perunović and Kukla.

The film was made with the support of the Slovenian Film Centre, Viba Film, Creative Europe - MEDIA and the Film Agency of North Macedonia. Co-producers are RTV Slovenia, Krug Film, Gliser, 001, Gustav Film, MB Grip, SNDKT and Instant.

The Slovenian minority co-production God Will Not Help by Croatian director Hana Jušić has also been included in the international competition programme. This film will also have its world premiere at the festival, and the Slovenian co-producer is the production company Perfo, for which Aleš Pavlin and Andrej Štritof said: "An exceptionally production-demanding project - a story from the beginning of the 20th century, set in an isolated community of shepherds on the Dinara - with the excellent Chilean actress Manuela Martelli in the lead role - has already aroused a lot of interest during its development. Among several festival invitations, together with the director we decided on Locarno, as we believe that the film will receive the right attention there. An important part of the creative team was also represented by the Slovenian technical crew, especially in the camera and makeup sectors, where several team members participated, under the leadership of the exceptional makeup artist Mojca Gorogranc-Petrushevski."

The film is a co-production of Croatia, Slovenia, France, Italy, Romania and Greece and tells the story of a summer evening when a Chilean woman named Teresa appears in a village under Dinara, which was completely abandoned due to summer grazing. There, only a lonely woman named Milena awaits her. Teresa claims to be the widow of Milena's brother, who once went to work in a mine in Chile, where he lost his life in an accident. That is why she decided to travel the world to join her new family and find inner peace with a dignified burial for her husband.

The main role in the film is played by Manuela Martelli, a Chilean actress who, in addition to her successful acting career, is also developing a directing career. Important roles in the film also play: Ana Marija Veselčić, Filip Đurić, Mauro Ercegović Gracin, Nikša Butijer, Tina Orlandini, Ivan Skoko, Bogdan Faras and Vinko Kraljević. The producer is Ankica Jurić Tilić, the director of photography is Jana Plećaš, the editor is Jan Klemsche, the set designer is Laura Boni, the costume designer is Katarina Pilić.

The main producer of the film is the Croatian Kinorama, co-producers are the Romanian Micro Film, the Italian Nightswim, the Greek Horsefly, the French Maneki Films and the Slovenian Perfo production. The development of the project and production were supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, and the production was also financially supported by the Romanian CNC, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Italy, the Greek Film Centre, the French CNC - Aide aux cinémas du monde, the Slovenian Film Centre and Viba film, and the Eurimages fund. The film will also premiere on Friday, August 8th at 4:45 PM.

Source: Slovenian Film Centre