Directed by Srdan Golubović, drama, 120 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by Ognjen Sviličić, Srdan Golubović
With Goran Bogdan, Nada Šargin, Milica Janevski, Muharem Hamzić, Ajla Šantić, Vahlid Džanković, Milan Marić, Jovo Maksić, Nikola Rakočević, Boris Isaković
When his wife, submerged in the depths of extreme poverty and social neglect, commits a desperate act, Nikola (getting a powerful performance by Goran Bogdan) is forced to surrender his children to foster care, since – according to the corrupt local administration – he is not able to provide them with decent living conditions. The situation looks hopeless and even after several appeals and his insistence, Nikola is unable to get them back. As a result, he sets out on foot from his small town in Serbia to the country’s capital, to bring attention to his case and find justice. The last thing he will do is give up on his children. Will Nikola find in Belgrade what he is looking for?
A compelling road odyssey, Father by Serbian director Srdan Golubović (CinEast’s Grand Prix Winner for Circles in 2013) zooms in on a fight for justice by the most vulnerable, in this case a desperate father’s fight for his children, in the name of parental love. This moving allegoric tale of human dignity, through the protagonist’s determination and persistence, explores all the corners of fatherly love. The film won two awards in the Panorama section of this year’s Berlin IFF.