The High Sun shines a light on three love stories, set in three consecutive decades, in two neighboring Balkan villages with a long history of inter-ethnic hatred. It is a film about the fragility – and intensity – of forbidden love.

In the first story, set in 1991, a romantic attraction is forced underground when love becomes a forbidden luxury in the pre-war atmosphere of madness, confusion and fear.

In the second story, set in 2001, the war is over but the lovers find it impossible to turn their infatuation into an on going relationship: the scars of the war are still too fresh and cannot heal that easily.

The third story takes place in 2011, when love can finally take root, if the lovers can break free of the past. Evil and suspicion have not completely vanished from their lives and catharsis is not easy to achieve, but it is possible once again.

Direction: Dalibor Matanić

Script: Dalibor Matanić

Production: Ankica Jurić Tilić, Petra Vidmar, Nenad Dukić, Ankica Jurić Tilić

Cinematography: Marko Brdar

Editing: Tomislav Pavlic

Production Design: Mladen Ožbolt

Costume Design: Ana Savić Gecan

Sound: Julij Zornik

Original Score: Alen Sinkauz, Nenad Sinkauz

Cast: Tihana Lazović, Goran Marković, Nives Ivanković, Trpimir Jurkić, Dado Ćosić

Original Title: ZVIZDAN

Original Language: Croatian

Subtitles: English

Film Production Countries: Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia

Website: http://www.zvizdan.com

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/zvizdanfilm

Statement of the Director/s
As a filmmaker, I have been long intrigued by the ever-present inter-ethnic hatreds in the Balkan region, and conflicts rooted in war, religion or politics. With this film, I wanted to explore three separate stories of a Croatian boy and a girl from a Serbian family, across three decades. The stories all take place in the same location, in the sun-scorched villages, and the young lovers are always in their early twenties. Using the lens of these three stories, I wanted to tease out the accumulated atmosphere of evil that smoulders among the damaged communities in this region.

I am by no means the only one who thinks that in our young century, the problem of hatred towards “the other” is particularly serious, worrying, and actually alarmingly dangerous. There is no shortage of examples – Islamophobia, neo-Nazism, chauvinism, racism, and the rejection of previously accepted immigrant groups. I believe that there is no better way to make a film about this subject than by making a love story, and by contrasting intolerance with acceptance, and fear and hatred with hope, forgiveness and love.

I have always wanted to make a film that would act as a mirror for all of us in these regions; that would bring us face to face with the moments when we allowed ourselves to act, not as ordinary decent people, but as a community controlled by darker, pre-conditioned urges. I want to show what happened when people followed a path that led to shameful euphoria in the short term, but that ultimately caused deep unhappiness and unnecessary suffering.

THE HIGH SUN celebrates selflessness and love – the very best of human nature that is still struggling to re-emerge victorious in our region. Because there is one thing I am sure about: at the end of the day, politics and extreme nationalism never win. Love does.

Biography of the Director/s
Dalibor Matanić was born in Zagreb in 1975. He holds a degree in Film and Television Directing from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. He made his award-winning feature debut THE CASHIER WANTS TO GO TO THE SEASIDE in 2000, based on his own screenplay. His second feature, FINE DEAD GIRLS, won the Grand Prix, Audience Award and Critics’ Award at the national film festival in 2002. Other features include 100 MINUTES OF GLORY; KINO LIKA (awarded at Montpelier 2008, Alexandria, Noordelijk Film Festival, Festival del cinema Europeo and Pula Film Festival, and screened at thirty other film festivals); I LOVE YOU, MOTHER OF ASPHALT (Grand Prix and two other awards at FIPA Biarritz), DADDY and HANDYMEN.

One of his most successful works is his short entitled PARTY (Tulum), that premiered at Cannes Film Festival, Critic’s Week in 2009, and later won 18 film awards at national and international festivals.

Awards Won
Cannes FF - Un Certain Regard - Jury Prize
Pula FF - National competition - Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Lead Actress, Critic's Award, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Costume Design

World Sales:
Cercamon
Sebastien Chesneau
Majara 1
Dubai Marina, #903, United Arab Emirates
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +971566063824
Website: http://www.cinando.com/cercamon

Press:
Kinorama
Ankica Jurić Tilić
Štoosova 25
Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +38598465576
Website: http://www.kinorama.hr/