Father

Nikola is a father of two who has a day-job in a small Serbian village. After being dismissed from a factory, and not having received any compensation, his wife attempts suicide by setting herself on fire. Confronted with a heavily bureaucratic social service that prohibits him from seeing his children, his only option is to walk 300 kilometers to Belgrade in order to deliver an appeal, initiating a long and dolorous battle to regain custody of his kids. Long and silent shots of Nikola’s journey affirm his relentless character amidst broader problems of poverty and corruption in Serbia.

The film passes through Serbian landscapes, and Nikola is surrounded by a view of abandonment and precariousness, even though good people eventually come across his way. Directed with pronounced realism, Father evolves with a dry and unsentimental style, presenting Nikola’s story as the one of a pilgrim or an ordinary hero who refuses to give up. Goran Bodgan, known for his work in the TV series Fargo, delivers another strong performance.