The Happiest Man In The World / Najsreќniot čovek na svetot
North Macedonia, Belgium, Slovenia, Denmark, Croatia, BiH 2022
Directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska, drama, 85 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by Teona Strugar Mitevska, Elma Tataragić
With Jelena Kordić Kuret, Adnan Omerovic, Labina Mitevska, Ana Kostovska, Ksenija Marinković, Izudin Bajrović
Asja, a 40-year-old single woman, lives in Sarajevo. In order to meet new people, she ends up spending her Saturday in a speed dating event at an 80’s style hotel, a witness of ex-Yugoslav architectural concrete modernism. She’s matched with Zoran, a 43-year-old banker. However, Zoran is not looking for love but forgiveness...
After the LUX prize-winning God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya (2019) that has scooped over 30 awards around the globe, Macedonian director Teona Strugar Mitevska returns with a movie taking place in the “injured city of Sarajevo”. According to the director, the film is a story about precariousness of life, the chance encounters bringing together the aggressor and the victim, reviving the painful past; a story of impossible connections, of love and absurdity. This thought-provoking touching film boasts extraordinary performances by Jelena Kordić Kuret and Adnad Omerović in leading roles, as well as Ksenija Marinković and the director’s sister Labina Mitevska.
The film was presented in the main competition programme of this year's Venice Film Festival and soon after participated in the Toronto IFF.
It is North Macedonia's entry for the Oscars.
Awards:
Venice FF 2022 (Orizzonti Competition)
Toronto FF 2022 (Contemporary World Cinema)