Vladimir Perišić, Serbia, France, Croatia, Luxembourg 2023

Caught between activism and his mother’s political ties, LOST COUNTRY powerfully delves into the complex turmoil of a teenage boy living in Belgrade in 1996. The film skillfully captures Stefan’s (Jovan Ginic) internal conflicts and the fragile nature of youth. Jasna Đuričić delivers a compelling performance as Marklena, Stefan's mother, displaying a complex yet borderline manipulative bond with her son. The film balances the fragile, evolving nature of youth and relationships, where perceptions and emotions change like the wind. Exposing the roots of societal violence within an authoritarian regime, LOST COUNTRY delivers a sense of nostalgia and disillusionment in a society plagued by political oppression. (EH)