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Mirage (2004 film)

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Iluzija (Mirage)
Movie poster of Iluzija
Directed bySvetozar Ristovski
Written bySvetozar Ristovski
Grace Lea Troje
Produced bySvetozar Ristovski
StarringMustafa Nadarević
Vlado Jovanovski
Nikola Đuričko
Dejan Aćimović
Marko Kovačević
CinematographyVladimir Samoilovski
Edited byAtanas Georgiev
Music byKlaus Hundsbichler
Distributed byCrescent Releasing
Picture This! (US)
Release dates
Canada:
11 September 2004
Macedonia:
11 March 2005
United States:
13 March 2005
Running time
107 min
Country North Macedonia
LanguagesMacedonian
Albanian
Budget€ 600,000

Iluzija (Macedonian: Илузија; English: Mirage) is a 2004 Macedonian drama film starring Vlado Jovanovski, Mustafa Nadarevic, Nikola Djuricko and Dejan Acimovic, with Marko Kovacevic debuting in its lead role. It was directed by Svetozar Ristovski, who co-wrote the film with Grace Lea Troje. Taking place in the city of Veles, the film is a coming-of-age story about a talented but abused schoolboy who is betrayed by illusory hopes of a better future and transformed by harsh circumstances into a criminal. It offers a grim depiction of post-independence Macedonia, portraying it as a site of violence and corruption.

Iluzija was Ristovski's feature debut as a director. Following its release in Canada and the United States, it was well-received by most critics, who have generally praised the film for its uncompromising realism and lead actor's performance. It won Best Feature Film during the 2005 Anchorage International Film Festival and was nominated for the Tokyo Grand Prix during the 2004 Tokyo International Film Festival.

Synopsis

The film takes place in Veles during the Republic of Macedonia's post-independence years. It tells the story of 13-year-old Marko Trifunovski (Marko Kovacevic), a talented but abused Macedonian schoolboy whose harsh circumstances gradually transform him into a criminal. Two mentors offer Marko hopes of a better future, but they eventually fail him, leading to his catastrophic change. The illusory nature of these hopes is foreshadowed by the film's epigraph, an aphorism from Friedrich Nietzsche's Human, All Too Human: "Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man."[1]

The film opens with Marko's difficult circumstances. Living in a run-down house beside a railway track, he suffers neglect from his family. They consist of his father Lazo (Vlado Jovanovski), a drunkard addicted to bingo and involved in a workers' strike; his cowed, unsupportive mother Angja (Elena Mosevska); and his promiscuous, abusive sister Fanny (Slavica Manaskova). At school, Marko suffers regular abuse from bullies led by Levi (Martin Jovchevski), son of the Albanian police chief Blashko (Dejan Acimovic). To escape his troubles, Marko often takes refuge in a local train graveyard, playing chess to pass time.

A sensitive boy, Marko has a talent for composing poetry; a character half-jokingly refers to him as "Kočo Racin II". A Bosnian teacher of Macedonian (Mustafa Nadarevic) becomes Marko's mentor, urging him to take part in a French-sponsored poetry contest and recite his entry during their school's upcoming Independence Day celebrations. He fills Marko with hopes of escaping his hometown through literary achievement to Paris, the "city of art".

However, Marko's efforts gain only indifference from his family and mockery from school bullies. Although a kind man, his teacher offers little help. He flees when he witnesses Levi's gang beating up Marko outside his own apartment, and his attempts to banish Levi from his classes fail because of Blashko's intervention. Furthermore, Fanny begins an affair with a black Kosovo Force soldier, providing Marko's bullies with more fuel.

Meanwhile, a scarred soldier (Nikola Djuricko) has taken up residence in the train graveyard. He plays chess with Marko, replacing a missing pawn with a bullet. Coincidentally, his name turns out to be Paris, the city of Marko's hopes. Paris becomes Marko's new mentor, teaching the boy to fend for himself: "Eat or be eaten." He promises to take Marko away from his hometown in the future. Under Paris' influence, Marko begins to drink, smoke and steal. They commit several burglaries to fund their future journey, including one of a local Orthodox church.

Marko is eventually caught peddling stolen perfumes. Taken into police custody, he is blackmailed by Blashko into becoming Levi's tutor. Levi in turn blackmails Marko into joining his gang for a school break-in, threatening him with his father's gun. Meanwhile, Marko's teacher subjects his poetry to severe criticism, devastating the boy. At his wits' end, Marko begs Paris to teach him how to shoot a gun. Dismissive at first, Paris finally agrees.

At night, Levi's gang and Marko break into school. They vandalize its main office, setting student records on fire and locking Marko inside the burning room. Scarred in the face by a broken bottle and recognized by the night watchman, Marko escapes and seeks refuge in the train graveyard. There, he discovers that Paris has abandoned him, leaving behind his pawn bullet.

Summoned by the principal to account for the vandalism, Marko refuses to denounce Levi's gang. He is condemned as a delinquent and expelled from school. Marko's teacher offers him no help, instead reporting him for alcohol and tobacco abuse. He replaces Marko with fellow classmate Jasmina (Marija Sikalovska) for their Independence Day poetry recital, ghostwriting a patriotic poem for her.

Confronting Levi's gang, Marko takes away Levi's gun by force and loads it with Paris' bullet. Armed, he confronts his teacher during their school's Independence Day celebrations and denounces him for betraying his hopes. "There is no escape from the sewer," he concludes, shooting his teacher point-blank. Lingering on a foreshortened shot of the supine teacher's lower body, the film closes to the strains of Erik Satie's Gnossienne No. 3.[2]

Cast

In order given by the film's credits:[3]

  • Vlado Jovanovski as Lazo. Marko's father.
  • Marko Kovacevic as Marko. This was Kovacevic's debut role as an actor.[4] Svetozar Ristovski conceived of Marko's personality as a combination of outward fragility and inner toughness, choosing Kovacevic for his ability to project these dual qualities.[5]
  • Jordanco Cevrevski as Neighbor. He appears in the film's opening, quarreling with Lazo for disturbing the neighbourhood with his drunken antics.
  • Elena Mosevska as Angja. Marko's mother.
  • Slavica Manaskova as Fanny. Marko's sister.
  • Mustafa Nadarevic as Teacher.
  • Martin Jovchevski as Levi.
  • Nikola Hejko as Chernobyl. One of Lazo's cronies. Hejko was also casting director for the film.[3]
  • Kiril Gravcev as Grafche.
  • Todor Jonovski as Lefko.
  • Ivica Mackinoski as Cviker.
  • Marija Sikalovska as Jasmina.
  • Ivica Bojkovic as Urko.
  • Ivica Barbarelov as Cobra.
  • Ivan Spasov as Romeo.
  • Bojanco Dimovski as Mottic.
  • Boban Krstevski as Hitler.
  • Dejan Acimovic as Blashko. Levi's father.
  • Petar Mircevski as Policeman.
  • Andrijana Ristovska as Bingo Announcer.
  • Kiril Milenkov as Bingo Owner.
  • Nino as Owner's Bodyguard.
  • Slobodan Markovski as Doorman.
  • Simce as Simche.
  • Jean Francois as Joshua.
  • Nikola Djuricko as Paris. Ristovski intended the film to be ambiguous about Paris' existence, depicting him as a fictitious creation of Marko's escapist daydreams, but refusing to deny his existence by separating Marko's dreams and reality.[6] Djuricko prepared for his role as Paris by weight-training for a month and learning Macedonian.[7]
  • Salaetin Bilal as Jeweller. Marko sells him stolen jewellery.
  • Tome Angelovski, Grace Lea Troje, Dejan Boskov as KFOR Soldiers. They appear in a cafe where Marko is peddling stolen perfumes. Troje was also co-writer with Ristovski for the film, while Angelovski and Boskov were location managers.[3]
  • Jagoda as Janitor.
  • Alexandar Georgiev as Night Watchman.
  • Bajrush Mjaku as Principal.

Major themes

Svetozar Ristovski conceived of the film as a coming-of-age story about a boy's transition from childhood to adolescence in modern Macedonia.[8] As part of this coming-of-age process, the protagonist spends much of the film searching for paternal figures such as Paris and his teacher to compensate for his father's inadequacies and act as alternative role models.[9] The mysterious Paris, in particular, functions as a wish-fulfilment "mirage" for the protagonist.[10]

Ristovski also conceived of the film as a portrayal of social conditions in post-independence Macedonia, depicting it as a society plagued by anomie, violence, crime and corruption.[11] He saw these conditions as part of a larger regional unease whose history included civil conflict in former Yugoslav territories.[12] Critics have similarly interpreted the film as an allegory of these social and regional concerns.[13] In this context, the protagonist's transition from victimhood to criminality embodies the cycle of violence endemic in such conditions,[14][15] while his failed hopes serve as a cautionary fable about the dangers of empty idealism in such situations.[16]

The film contains much train imagery, depicting Veles as a railway setting. This railway motif was an aesthetic decision by Ristovski.[17] Within the film's social context, it creates a dilemma in which the trains pose possibilities of escape and opportunity, but in which social and political conditions prevent people from realizing such possibilities.[18]

Production

Iluzija was Svetozar Ristovski's first attempt at directing a feature film; his prior work included the short film Hunter (2000) and the documentary Joy of Life (2001).[19][20] According to a 2006 WKCR interview, his inspiration for the project came in the form of the film's final image, which served as a focal point towards which he worked out the film's events.[21]

Ristovski collaborated with Grace Lea Troje on the script.[3] He credited his Canadian-born colleague with providing the film an "international" perspective and giving its story a more "universal" dimension,[22] thus steering it away from parochialism.[7] According to Variety, Andrei Tarkovsky's Ivan's Childhood (1962) was an important influence on the co-writers.[23]

The casting director for the film was Nikola Hejko,[24] who was chosen primarily for his prior work with juvenile actors in movies such as Kolya (1996) and The Great Water (2004).[7] Hejko's tasks for the film included finding actors for its juvenile roles with the help of his assistant Maja Mladenovska.[7] According to Ristovski, this involved searching various Macedonian schools for potential actors,[25] as well as months of test shooting and selection narrowing.[26] The film's adult roles were largely filled by actors from Macedonia and other Balkan countries.[7]

In interviews, Ristovski cited several difficulties in producing the film. According to a 2005 interview, the project met with disapproval from the Macedonian government during pre-production.[27] Ristovski credited his cast and crew for their dedication towards the project despite this difficulty, likening their participation to "comradery in a battle".[27] In his WKCR interview, Ristovski also cited Macedonia's lack of technical resources such as film equipment and film laboratory services, which had to be sourced overseas.[28]

Ristovski's production company, Small Moves, partnered with the Vienna-based Synchro Film to produce the film.[29] Its working title was Godini na nadez,[30] known variously in English as Seasons of Hope[30] and Years of Hope.[31][29] The film had a budget of 600,000 euros, to which the Macedonian Ministry of Culture contributed 500,000[29] and Synchro Film about 10%.[31]

The film was shot on location in Veles during May and June 2003.[32] Veles had been Ristovski's birthplace and childhood home,[33] and his familiarity with the place served as an advantage for finding filming locations.[34] He also had prior working experience with the film's cinematographer, Vladimir Samoilovski.[35] According to his WKCR interview, he and Samoilovski aimed for a visual style that combined both "aesthetic beauty" and documentary-style "grittiness" in the film's depiction of Veles.[36]

The film's post-production took place in Austria.[32]

Distribution

The film's world premiere took place on 11 September 2004 during the 29th Toronto International Film Festival.[30][32] In the United States, it premiered on 13 March 2005 during the 12th South by Southwest Film Festival.[30][37] The film saw its first US theatrical release in New York City during March 2006,[30] followed by a DVD release in July.[38]

The film's European premiere took place on 21 November 2004 during the 45th Thessaloniki International Film Festival.[30][39] In Macedonia, it premiered on 11 March 2005 during the 8th Skopje Film Festival,[40][41] with a theatrical release following in April.[42]

The film is distributed by Crescent Releasing, with Picture This! Entertainment handling theatrical and video releases in the United States.[43][44]

Reception

Box office

In the United States, the film opened in a single theatre on March 17, 2006 and grossed $1,511 during its one week of screening.[45] Overall, the film has grossed $2,241 in the United States.[45]

Critical reception

The film was well received by most film critics, earning at "Fresh" rating of 82% based on 11 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes with an 86% "Cream of the Crop" designation based on 7 reviews.[46] The film was also awarded a generally favourable metascore of 61 based on 8 reviews on Metacritic.[47]

Critics have generally praised the film for its uncompromising realism. After its Toronto premiere, Variety lauded the film as "a modest triumph of fearless acting and pointed social commentary".[23] Its New York theatrical release drew similar praise. "Ristovski needs us to feel his nation's torment, and he succeeds," wrote the New York Daily News.[48] The New York Times found the film's story somewhat "underdeveloped", but concluded by describing it as "an unnerving window on a Balkan country".[49] The Village Voice called the film a "wicked evocation of hopelessness",[50] while The Hollywood Reporter found it "unremittingly grim and powerful".[15] TV Guide found the film "tense [and] gripping" as well as "starkly beautiful",[16] while Film Threat found it "raw [and] visceral" as well as "disturbing and highly original".[51]

However, the film also received a few negative reviews. The New York Post found it "drab, despairing and pointless",[52] while Slant Magazine found it "shrill" and "unreal", likening the film to "drag[ging] the corpse of Billy Elliott through sewer water".[53] Following its European premiere, the Macedonian daily Utrinski Vesnik praised the film for its realism and imagery, but concluded by criticizing its emphasis on misery for being one-sided.[39]

Critics have singled out Marko Kovacevic in his lead role for praise. His performance was lauded as "superb" by The Hollywood Reporter[15] and "remarkable" by both Variety and Film Threat,[23][51] while The Village Voice commended him for "channel[ing] gentle and ferocious with equal ease"[50] in his depiction of the protagonist.

Awards

Event Award Winner/Nominee Result
2004 Tokyo International Film Festival[54][55] Tokyo Grand Prix Svetozar Ristovski Nominated
2005 Anchorage International Film Festival[54][56] Best Feature Svetozar Ristovski Won
2005 Zlín International Film Festival for Children and Youth[54][57] Best European Debut Film Svetozar Ristovski Won
2006 Avanca Film Festival[54][58] Feature Film (Special Mention) Svetozar Ristovski Won
Best Actor (Special Mention) Marko Kovacevic Won
Cinematography Vladimir Samoilovski Won

Notes

  1. ^ A different translation of this Nietzsche quote is available at Wikiquote as Aphorism 71. URL retrieved May 2008.
  2. ^ Peter L'Official identifies the Satie music in his Village Voice review. For corroboration, midi files of the Satie music are available at Kunst der Fuge. URLs retrieved May 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d "IMDB: Full cast and crew for Iluzija (2004)". Retrieved May 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ "IMDB: Marko Kovacevic". Retrieved May 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ Hanrahan interview, 4:15-5:22.
  6. ^ Hanrahan interview, 16:10-16:55.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Before Start of Filming of First Feature Film in 2003 - Years of Hope to start on May 6". Utrinski Vesnik. 14 Apr 2003. Retrieved June 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ^ Hanrahan interview, 0:50-1:49.
  9. ^ Hanrahan interview, 7:22-8:40.
  10. ^ Hanrahan interview, 16:10-16:55.
  11. ^ Hanrahan interview, 8:45-11:43.
  12. ^ Hanrahan interview, 9:50-11:43.
  13. ^ For example, the Cockrell, Fox, Genzlinger, Hall, Scheck and Weitzman reviews listed in References.
  14. ^ Hanrahan interview, 9:28-11:43.
  15. ^ a b c Scheck, Frank. Review. The Hollywood Reporter. 19 May 2006. URL retrieved May 2008.
  16. ^ a b Fox, Ken. Review. TV Guide, 17 Mar 2006. URL retrieved May 2008.
  17. ^ Hanrahan interview, 17:38-18:12.
  18. ^ Hanrahan interview, 18:12-19:58.
  19. ^ "EastWest Film Distribution: Svetozar Ristovski". Retrieved May 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  20. ^ "Macedonian Cinema Information Center: Ristevski Svetozar". Retrieved May 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  21. ^ Hanrahan interview, 19:59-21:38.
  22. ^ Hanrahan interview, 22:20-23:11.
  23. ^ a b c Cockrell, Eddie. Review. Variety, 13 Sep 2004. URL retrieved May 2008.
  24. ^ "IMDB: Nikola Hejko". Retrieved June 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  25. ^ Hanrahan interview, 3:03-3:40.
  26. ^ Hanrahan interview, 3:03-3:53.
  27. ^ a b Weinberg, Scott (12 Mar 2005). "SXSW '05 Interview: Mirage Director Svetozar Ristovski". Hollywood Bitchslap. Retrieved May 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  28. ^ Hanrahan interview, 25:44-26:24.
  29. ^ a b c "Macedonia with Three Candidates for Mostra– Film of Svetozar Ristevski Applies for Venice". Vest. 13 July 2004. Retrieved June 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  30. ^ a b c d e f "IMDB: Release dates for Iluzija (2004)". Retrieved May 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  31. ^ a b "Film - Shooting of Years of Hope by director Svetozar Ristovski Under Way". Dnevnik. 06 May 2003. Retrieved June 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help) Macedonian version.
  32. ^ a b c "Macedonia in Great Festivals in North America and Asia - Mirage of Festivals in Toronto, Vancouver and Tokyo". Utrinski Vesnik. 13 Aug 2004. Retrieved June 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  33. ^ Hanrahan interview, 16:59-17:10.
  34. ^ Hanrahan interview, 17:10-17:20.
  35. ^ Hanrahan interview, 14:40-15:00. IMDB lists Radost na zhivotot (2001) as a Ristovski-Samoilovski collaboration. URL retrieved May 2008.
  36. ^ Hanrahan interview, 15:10-15:50.
  37. ^ "SXSW 2005 Film Screenings: Mirage". Retrieved May 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  38. ^ "IMDB: DVD details for Iluzija (2004)". Retrieved June 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  39. ^ a b "45th Thessaloniki Film Festival – Illusion with Three Projections in Thessaloniki". Utrinski Vesnik. 23 Nov 2004. Retrieved June 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  40. ^ "Cultural Roundup". Southeast European Times. 9 Mar 2005. Retrieved June 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  41. ^ "Skopje Film Festival Begins on Friday". Macedonian Information Agency. 10 Mar 2005. Retrieved June 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  42. ^ "Cinema Millennium – Premiere of Mirage of Svetozar Ristovski". Utrinski Vesnik. 8 Apr 2005. Retrieved June 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  43. ^ "IMDB: Company credits for Iluzija (2004)". Retrieved May 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  44. ^ "Variety Profiles: Mirage". Retrieved May 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  45. ^ a b Box Office Mojo: Mirage. URL retrieved May 2008.
  46. ^ Rotten Tomatoes: Mirage. URL retrieved May 2008.
  47. ^ Metacritic: Mirage. URL retrieved May 2008.
  48. ^ Weitzman, Elizabeth. Review. New York Daily News, 17 Mar 2006. URL retrieved May 2008.
  49. ^ Genzlinger, Neil. "Hard Times for a Macedonian Teen." The New York Times, 17 Mar 2006. URL retrieved May 2008.
  50. ^ a b L'Official, Peter. Review. The Village Voice, 7 Mar 2006. URL retrieved May 2008.
  51. ^ a b Hall, Phil. Review. Film Threat, 9 Mar 2006. URL retrieved May 2008.
  52. ^ Smith, Kyle. Review. New York Post: New York Pulse, 17 Mar 2006, p 58.
  53. ^ Gonzalez, Ed. Review. Slant Magazine, 2006. URL retrieved May 2008.
  54. ^ a b c d IMDB: Awards for Iluzija (2004). URL retrieved May 2008.
  55. ^ History: 17th Tokyo International Film Festival Line-up. URL retrieved May 2008.
  56. ^ Anchorage International Film Festival 2005, with more information at Iluzija (Mirage). URLs retrieved May 2008.
  57. ^ Film Festival Zlín: International Film Festival for Children and Youth - 45th festival. URL retrieved May 2008.
  58. ^ Festival Avanca 2006: International cinema and video competition. URL retrieved May 2008.

References

Reviews

Interviews


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