HONEYMOONS
Year of production : 2009 Lenght : 95 min. Format : 35 mm Screen ratio : 1:1.85 (flat) Sound format : Dolby digital surround Countries of origin : Serbia, Albania SYNOPSIS The story of "HONEYMOONS" is set in contemporary Albania and Serbia. We follow the fortunes of two young couples who decide to leave their respective home countries in search of a better life in Western Europe. When the Albanian couple, after all sorts of incidents, arrives in an Italian southern port, their problems start. The same fate awaits the Serbian couple when they by train enter European Union at the Hungarian border.Despite the fact that they have nothing to do with the incident that occurred in Kosovo in which two Italian UN soldiers lost their lives, they are arrested at the border and suspected due to unfortunate coincidences. This prevents them, at least temporarily, from fulfilling their dreams, as is often the case with young people in the Balkans who pay for the mistakes of previous generations. "HONEYMOONS" is the first film co-produced by Albania and Serbia.
GRAND PRIX in Valladolid At the recently concluded 54th international film festival in the Spanish town of Valladolid, HONEYMOONS, director Goran Paskaljevic's latest film, captured the highest prize, the "GOLDEN Spike," as well as the FIPRESCI Award, the international jury of film critics.
Under strong competition between the newest works of Paul Schrader, Steven Soderbergh, Theo Angelopulos, and other well-known filmmakers from around the world, Paskaljevic's film stood out, according to the president of the jury, renowned Italian director Ettore Scola, "by its force of cinematographic expression and strong emotional impact in an involved motion picture story from the Balkans."
Paskaljevic has won this prominent festival's prestigious award twice for his films "SOMEONE ELSE'S AMERICA" (1995) and "THE OPTIMISTS" three years ago. Roberto Rossellini and the British film director Ken Loach have each won the GOLDEN Spike twice, but the honor goes to Goran Paskaljevic who has become the only filmmaker to have been awarded this highest recognition three times at Spain’s most prominent, along with San Sebastian, film festival.
The awards will be accepted by HONEYMOONS' Albanian co-producer and co-scenarist, Genc Permeti, since our director is currently at the film festival in Sao Paolo, where he is presiding as president of the international jury. In a short press communiqué from Brazil, Paskaljevic thanked the jury and the festival at Valladolid emphasizing that he is especially proud that the decision was made by a competent jury led by the greatest living Italian director, Ettore Scola, as well as legendary Mexican director Arturo Ripstein, producer Antonio Saura, and others. |