Directed by Jure Pavlović, drama, 97 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by Jure Pavlović
With Daria Lorenci-Flatz, Neva Rošić, Vera Zima
Mater is the story of Jasna, a middle-aged Croatian ex-pat living in Germany who, due to her mother Anka's declining health, is forced to return to the place where she grew up. Her home, but a place that she has been avoiding most of her life. Time runs slowly in the house in which the two women have to stay together. It is filled with resentment, unresolved feelings from the past, and suppressed emotions.
This is a quiet and intense film, based on the careful and sensitive observation of nuances. It paints the intricacies of the mother-daughter relationship without overt pathos or drama, in subdued tones and subtle, yet powerful, detail. A subtle and accomplished feature film from writer/director Jure Pavlović.