Logline

An old lady wants to remarry again, but when her pregnant daughter finds out old family wounds start to open.

Synopsis

DIANA (36) who is in early pregnancy discovers that her mother GORDANA (70) has made an open call that she is searching for a new husband. This news shocks her and transforms the calm Diana into a fury.

The day before Christmas Eve, Diana goes at her mother’s place to face her and to try to convince her not to marry again. But Gordana does not acts as Diana has expected. Granma Gordana is actually so relaxed and calm like nothing new or controversial had happened, even she jokes about the situation, while Diana is clearly in a nervous and anger mindset. In the middle of their conflict, memories come back to Dina from her childhood, her with her mother and her deceased father DRAGI (40). Dina rushes out from the flat, throwing the newspaper with the open call for husband in her mother’s face.

In front of the building, Dina takes a cigarette from the two old ladies that sit on the bench all the time, scanning and seeing everything in the neighborhood like living cameras. After the cigarette and another childhood reverie, she decides that she will stay in Gordana’s flat until she cancels the wedding with her new husband. Gordana does not care if Diana stays here or not, the wedding will happen nevertheless.

In the middle of the night, Diana finds out the phone number of the new husband in her mother’s notebook. Diana tries to call the newly discovered number but no one answers the phone. The reveries from her loving father awakes her rebellious side and so, she goes on a search to find her mother’s new husband. Outside, people celebrate the holiday Kolede with bonfires, dancing and music, which is the night before Christmas Eve. She is unable to find the building with the number 13, which is supposed to be where her mother’s future husband should live. Diana goes near a bonfire; a shadow of her childhood memories appears and she throws up. She runs away in panic in her car.

The next day, after spending the night in her car, Diana goes up in her mother’s flat to face her and give her the final ultimatum. Gordana does not even tries to defend herself, but after Diana has tiered of talking and runed out of facts, Gordana steps in. Gordana explains her loneliness and her love towards her deceased husband, but she must face the reality that he is gone, and she is alone. Dina starts to understand and gives her a chance. She does not promise that everything will be all right, but just that she will try to accept her mother’s decision. The bell rings. It should be the future husband. Gordana goes to open the door. Diana turns toward the door and stays with a hurtful shock on her face.

Director’s Statement

The idea came from a true story. The true story is when my friend’s grandfather made an open call in a local newspaper that he is searching for a new wife. His daughter, my friend’s mother, was not so happy about it and stopped the process.

The story of Gordana is in its core an intimate family drama, about the loneliest of the main character and how other characters are dealing with it. Especially the mental state of Gordana, who understands that she’s becoming old and slowly becoming senile. But these dark and serious themes won’t be presented in a melancholic tone, but it would be represented through the light angle of things. This would be amplified by the context and time when the events take place, one day before Christmas Eve.

As a sub-theme is the search of perfection in life, which is the character’s trait of Dina, the daughter of Gordana.

Visually the film would be filmed with handheld camera, with naturalistic light.  Most of the lights would be practical, like the Christmas lights everywhere, that would make the cinematography vivid, comforting and warm. Also, the practical light would be blurry, to make the atmosphere a little bit dazed.  The warm tone of the film is connected to the soul of Gordana, which is humorous, open-minded but at the same time complex character.

The costumes would be also with warm colors, dark and bright yellow, cream, light brown etc. Except the costumes of the character of Diana. Her costumes will have darker colors like dark blue and dark grey which will make the contrast between the warmer character of Gordana and her surroundings to the more angry and cold character of Diana.  But also, in Diana’s costume there will be little details, like scarf or hat that will be more of a warmer type of color (yellow), which symbolizes that behind all her anger and cold attitude she is still a child and a kind person.