Zavod SPOK

competition programme Perspectives

"Secrets, intimate desires, deception, confessions: this Perspectives film explores a kaleidoscope of emergent awakenings as driven by an evocative sensory experience and epitomised by its exceptional opening scene. The filmmaker beautifully portrays the struggles of a teenage girl stepping into adolescence—the push and pull of sexuality and societal restrictions—through excellent cinematic expression. For this portrait of the eponymous “little girls in trouble” crafted in an imaginative and oneiric way, the FIPRESCI Jury Award for the inaugural Perspectives section goes to Little Trouble Girls by Urška Djukić."

Youth Award (TEEN Spirit), in amount of 1,500 euros, offered by McDonalds

Any individual liberation from social constraints takes place through a combination of recognising one’s own differences and finding common ground in the form of friendships. In Urška Djukić’s world, complex relationships are depicted in a cinematically balanced portrayal of the critical period of adolescence caught in the whirlwind of physical excitement and the allure of transcendence. For these reasons, we present the critics’ award for best Slovenian feature film to Little Trouble Girls.

Montenegrin: Nježna, duboko humana priča odrastanja ‘Dobre djevojke / Little Trouble Girls’ režiserke Urške Đukić nam takođe pruža i lekciju za sve generacije. A to je, da ništa i nikad nije konačno, da smo svi na neki način ‘radovi u toku’ i nedovršeni. Bez obzira na to koliko smo stari. Dopali su nam se i impresionirali nas glumački performansi, izuzetna ekonomičnost scenarija, ali i – suštinski – zaista svi ostali filmski elementi. Uključujući i najmoćniju poruku filma: niko i nikad nema pravo da vas ućutkuje, da vam glas utiša.

Thanks to its distinctive cinematic language, building on careful interweaving of acting, sound, and camera work, Little Trouble Girls offers a unique aesthetic experience. By giving an insight into the existential complexity of adolescence, the film compellingly and thoughtfully unfolds a wide range of eternal themes – from friendship, love, and sexuality to solidarity and betrayal. The empathetic perspective consistently developed by the film opens up space for the organic coexistence of humour and seriousness, love and contempt, hope and fear.

Given the extremely rich selection of student films this year, we are not worried about the future of Slovenian cinema. It was difficult to choose, and it would be unfair to award the prize to just one film in so many different genres: fiction, documentary, experimental and animation. That is why we decided to cut this year’s Vesna into six parts, as we believe there are six films that deserve it equally. Due to the festival rules, this was not possible: the Vesna can only be awarded to one film. So, in accordance with the rules, we are awarding six special mentions, but we still consider them symbolically as the Vesna Award, while taking this opportunity to call again for a recast of the rules. But if you ask us, each of the winners should be allowed to keep the Vesna with them for two months of the year.

Each of the highlighted films stands out for certain creative aspects, and it is these that need to be recognised. Anja Resman’s animation Beyond the Face is an intricate work that reflects the artist’s creative maturity. Karin Likar’s (Un)Lucky Day is a playful, witty, imaginative and visually fresh animation. Nel Jeraj Sedej’s The Window is a brave social critique within a film experiment. Špela Koščak’s Interface can be experienced as a deft homage to avant-garde cinema through the sonic imprint of our times. Iza Mlakar has managed to weave an emotionally compelling film with her subtle direction of the actors in Threads. David Champaigne’s After is a genre-defining minimalist film distinguished by a well-executed dramaturgical arc.

Allowance of 10.000 eur in-kind in image and sound post-production.