This hybrid documentary takes us on a journey into a world without men. The island tradition is, that the women choose the image that will represent them on their grave after they’re gone.
Reality and subconscious mix, as the author questions: “How does it feel to have a family tree consisting only of women? What do our ancestress’ whisper from their silent portraits?” We’re following two women, traveling from the mainland to the island graveyard, to visit their Valerija.
On the journey, the author is questioning the archetype of an island woman and her own female heritage through a participatory process.
World Premiere: Sheffield Doc 2023.
Sarajevo Film Festival – Winner of The Heart of Sarajevo for the Best Short Documentary 2023.
FeKK Ljubljana 2023.
Mediteran Film Festival BiH 2023.
DOK Leipzig 2023.
25fps Festival 2023. / Winner of the best short documentary
Zinebi International Film Festival 2023.
Sara Jurinčić (1989, Zadar, Croatia) graduated at Faculty of Architecture of the University of Zagreb in 2015. with additional program from Zagreb’s Academy of Dramatic and Fine Arts (ADU/ALU). Involved in film and photography research since 2009 through a series of workshops (16mm film), video workshops in Denmark (2017) and Restart School of Documentary Film (2018).
Collaborated and exhibited with: W.O.R.M. Rotterdam, Klubvizija lab Zagreb, CAFxCPH Denmark, Restart, KONTEJNER Zagreb. In 2018. she established NOMAD STUDIO – art, production and spatial experiment lab, involved in projects, exhibitions and workshops through Europe. In 2019. she was part of SARAJEVO TALENTS campus (director’s section), in 2020. part of EW Talent Lab in Wiesbaden, and DOK Leipzig film festival’s Short n’ Sweet pitch with the project “VALERIJA”. She won multiple awards for her debut film „September 3rd 2015“ that has been shown on more that 30 international festivals, including Oberhausen film festival (international competition) in 2019.