directed by Peter Bebjak, thriller, 108 min, eng subtitles, 16+
written by Peter Balko
with Tomáš Maštalír, Emília Vášaryová, Zuzana Fialová, Andy Hryc
Adam Krajňák is the boss of a criminal gang smuggling cigarettes across the Slovak-Ukrainian border. An uncompromising leader who never loses his self-assurance, Krajňák has no scruples when it comes to gaining the respect of his entourage, even if it means cutting off a traitor’s finger. However, it’s 2007, and the peaceful coexistence of the two interlinked worlds is disrupted by the construction of the Schengen Area border that causes anxiety among the smugglers about the future of their business. When one day contraband fails to reach its destination, Krajňák finds himself facing a dilemma: is he ready to cross even more boundaries? This crime thriller respects the rules of its genre, yet remains convincing and realistic and surprises with unexpected doses of Kusturica-like humour. Far from mere mainstream entertainment, it is a universal human story set in an environment mingling different cultures and destinies where lines are constantly being crossed in many different senses.
Awards:
Karlovy Vary IFF 2017 (Best Director)
With the support of the Slovak Embassy in Brussels