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Croatian Juraj Lerotić directs this haunting film and also stars in it as a man whose brother is hellbent on inflicting self harm. It’s bleak and covers the most harrowing of subjects but Lerotić has created a mini masterpiece here. Drawing on his own life experience, this must have been a deeply personal film to make. The film has no score to it and most of the time the camera is stable, just observing.
Save for one magical surrealist type scene (a very bold, meta-like choice from the director), the realism on show is on another level, no doubt assisted by the autobiographical nature of the project. The film is set over a 24 hour period where Bruno (Lerotić) runs to the apartment of his brother Damir, afraid that he might do something silly as he sounded very odd on the phone. Damir is played by Goran Markovic, and if there’s a better performance this year I’d love to see it. His doe eyed, tormented, vulnerability masterfully executed.
Damir’s actions result in the emergency services being called – most of which are shown to be unsympathetic and bordering on negligent. Lerotić doesn’t hold back here which suggests a level of anger in his experiences. Safe place is a film that shows us how desperate some people are, and how sometimes - knowing what the right thing to do is practically impossible. No doubt some people will lazily label this film as ‘depressing’, but it is a staggering accomplishment beautifully put together.
And this is Juraj Lerotić’s debut feature! Highly recommended.
‘Safe Place’ (2022)
Directed by Juraj Lerotić
Directed by Juraj Lerotić
Croatian Juraj Lerotić directs this haunting film and also stars in it as a man whose brother is hellbent on inflicting self harm. It’s bleak and covers the most harrowing of subjects but Lerotić has created a mini masterpiece here. Drawing on his own life experience, this must have been a deeply personal film to make. The film has no score to it and most of the time the camera is stable, just observing.
Save for one magical surrealist type scene (a very bold, meta-like choice from the director), the realism on show is on another level, no doubt assisted by the autobiographical nature of the project. The film is set over a 24 hour period where Bruno (Lerotić) runs to the apartment of his brother Damir, afraid that he might do something silly as he sounded very odd on the phone. Damir is played by Goran Markovic, and if there’s a better performance this year I’d love to see it. His doe eyed, tormented, vulnerability masterfully executed.
Damir’s actions result in the emergency services being called – most of which are shown to be unsympathetic and bordering on negligent. Lerotić doesn’t hold back here which suggests a level of anger in his experiences. Safe place is a film that shows us how desperate some people are, and how sometimes - knowing what the right thing to do is practically impossible. No doubt some people will lazily label this film as ‘depressing’, but it is a staggering accomplishment beautifully put together.
And this is Juraj Lerotić’s debut feature! Highly recommended.