Murina

Directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic

Release Year: 2022
Running time: 94
Country: Croatia
Language: Croatian with English subtitles
$349.00 - With PPR
$499.00 - With DSL
$499.00 - With DSL and PPR
MSRP: $599.00
Screening Request

On a remote island along Croatia’s Adriatic coast, 17-year-old Julija spends her days diving for eel with her domineering father Ante and watching other teens party on a nearby yacht. Julija bristles at Ante’s heavy handed cruelty and resents her mother Nela’s passivity. She longs for independence but is unsure how to achieve it, until the arrival of the rich and mysterious Javier seems to offer a way out. Javier is considering buying Ante’s land to build a resort, which would allow the family to escape their island isolation for the city. Once Ante’s employer and Nela’s lover, Javier flirts shamelessly with Nela and Julija, setting off a subtle battle of hypermasculine one-upmanship that pushes Ante to humiliate and control Julija even more. Flattered by Javier’s praise and stories of traveling the world, Julija sees him as the solution to all her problems. But does his affection portend freedom, or something more sinister? Winner of the Caméra d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, lensed by award-winning cinematographer Hélène Louvart (The Lost Daughter, Never Rarely Sometimes Always), and Executive Produced by Martin Scorsese, Murina features a ferocious, star-making central performance by Gracija Filipovic and the most sumptuous images of the Mediterranean since The Big Blue. Equal parts fiery feminist outcry and stirring coming-of-age drama, the film announces director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic as a major new talent in world cinema.

Reviews

“An exceptional debut… the perfect, darkly dazzling vehicle for a sunshine noir.”

- Jessica Kiang, Variety
 

“Tense, gorgeous, award-winning debut film.”

- Bilge Ebiri, Vulture
 

“A superb study in sustained subliminal menace… takes aim at the patriarchy with sinister restraint.”

- Tim Grierson, Screen International
 

“Vibrant, bright, restless and forceful.”

- Elsa Keslassy, Variety
 

“Moody and mysterious. A taut psychodrama that makes subtle but impactful statements about misogyny and personal choice.”

- Laura Venning, Little White Lies
 

“Mesmerizing… a seaside Croatian sensation.”

- Jordan Hoffman, The A.V. Club
 

“A vivid picture of a troubled paradise.”

- Steve Pond, The Wrap
 

Awards

Winner: Camera d'Or - Cannes Film Festival

 

Official Selection: Cannes Film Festival – Directors’ Fortnight

 

Official Selection: Toronto International Film Festival

 

Official Selection: MoMI First Look Festival

 

Official Selection: Hamptons International Film Festival

 

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