Nela, who has been disappointed by Javier before, is the only one without expectations. Javier rides in like a knight in shining armour from the new world who, as Kusijanovic notes, “over-promises and under-delivers.” Ante hopes to persuade Javier to buy their land, and Julija sees Javier as her escape route, if only she can help him rekindle his old romance with her mother, Nela (Danica Curcic).
Set over the course of a week in the summer, the film pivots around the visit of family friend Javier (Cliff Curtis), a rich businessman from New York whom both Julija and Ante hope will solve their problems. Coming from a rural working class family, Julija feels trapped, and is desperately looking for an escape - not just from her father, but from the dead-end town. It’s a stark contrast to the harsh, hot prison that is her home in an island village in Croatia, where her father regularly literally keeps her under lock and key. By introducing us to this foreign underwater world from the start, Kusijanovic establishes the film as one that is also working on a metaphorical level, even as it has some social realist approaches and preoccupations.Īs Kusijanovic puts it, Julija is a “person of the sea,” never happier than when she’s diving in the vast, cool blue water.
It’s a bold sequence that takes its time, letting us revel in the rhythms of the sea before we even see any humans. The film opens underwater, where seventeen-year-old Julija (the very talented newcomer Gracija Filipovic), and her abusive father, Ante (Leon Lucev), are hunting eels. At Seventh Row, we pride ourselves on seeking out the best hidden gems that nobody’s talking about to ensure that our readers never miss a great film again.Ĭlick here to sign up for regular streaming recommendations of the best under-the-radar films.Īntoneta Alamat Kusijanovic’s debut film, Murina, is a gorgeous, thoughtful exploration of teenage girlhood, abuse, and finding your own way out of oppression.
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