In the regular distribution period in French cinemas, which began on April 20, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović’s “Murina” has so far been seen by 50,133 viewers and has been shown in 94 cinemas, reports Dubrovački vjesnik. Murina will be in US cinemas from the beginning of July, and so far it has been arranged to be shown in cinemas in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and many other countries.
The film Murina is the feature-length debut of director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović and was executive produced by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese. The film premiered last year at the Cannes Film Festival where it was awarded the Golden Camera (Camera d’Or) which is awarded to the best debut film in all festival programs. This award is one of the greatest successes of Croatian film abroad, and Murina continues to be a success and attract audiences to cinemas.
To date, the film has been screened at more than 60 festivals and won 23 awards. In addition to the prestigious Cannes, there is also the award for best film in the Hamptons, as well as the Femme Du Cinema award in Les Arcs in France presented to Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović as the most promising director of the year. On June 19, at the ceremony in Zagreb, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović will be presented with the annual “Vladimir Nazor” award given by the Ministry of Culture and Media for the best artistic achievements.
The film “Murina” is a story about the tense relationship between sixteen-year-old Julia and her authoritarian father Ante, which starts worsening when an old family friend arrives at their home on the island. While his father is preoccupied with trying to make a living with him, the charismatic guest opens more and more space for Julia and arouses her revolt against her parents. During a weekend filled with high expectations, Julia drags her family into a dangerous whirlwind of passion and violence.
The main roles are played by young actresses Gracija Filipović, Leon Lučev, Danica Ćurčić, and Cliff Curtis. The screenplay is by director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović and co-written with Frank Graziano. The producers of the film are Danijel Pek (Antitalent) and Rodrigo Teixeira (RT Features), and the co-producers are Zdenka Gold (Spiritus Movens), Jožko Rutar (SPOK Films) and Miha Černec (Staragara).
Director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović was born in Dubrovnik. She completed her studies at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb and then directed at Columbia University in the USA. For her short film Into the Blue, she won awards in Berlin and the Heart of Sarajevo, and the film was nominated for a Student Oscar.
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