After the Czech Republic, Luxembourg and China, the film As Far As I Can Walk, directed by Stefan Arsenijevic was included in the official feature film program as part of the 43rd CineMed International Film Festival in Montpellier. We remind you – this notable Serbian film is also a co-production with France, and was created with the support of Film Center Serbia (FCS). The premiere there is scheduled for October 18th, and the festival takes place from the 15th to the 23rd of October.
The film is a modern adaptation of the famous folk epic song Banović Strahinja placed in the contemporary context of the refugee crisis. The main character is a young migrant from Africa who, wanting to fit in better with the new environment, takes the Serbian name Strahinja. Strahinja and his wife Ababuo live in a refugee camp in Krnjača, until a new wave of refugees from Syria, including the charismatic Ali, brings unrest into their lives…
The film is directed by Stefan Arsenijević, who worked on the script with Bojan Vuletić and Nikolas Dukraj. In addition to the award-winning director of photography Jelena Stanković, the film was edited by Vanja Kovačević, the set designer was Zorana Petrov, composer Martinas Bialobžeskis, costume designer Karin Rando de Felis. In addition to the French actor Ibrahim Kome, who was awarded for his performance in Karlovy Vary, the film stars Austrian actress Nancy Mensa Ofei and Syrian actor Maxim Kalil. Serbian actors Nebojša Dugalić and Jelena Mihajlović play supporting roles in the film.
Strahinja Banović was co-produced by Serbia, France, Bulgaria, Luxembourg and Lithuania. Serbian producer is Miroslav Mogorović in front of Art & Popcorn, in cooperation with Cinnamon Film. Arsenijević’s production was supported by Film Center Serbia, Eurimages, the Luxembourg Film Fund, the French National Film Center, the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Lithuanian Film Center and Creative Europe – Media.
Let us remind you that at the 55th International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary, the film won three awards within the main competition program, including the most important one – the Grand Prix Crystal Globe for the best film. Ibrahim Koma, was named the best actor of the festival, while the director of photography, Jelena Stanković, received a special award from the jury. Additionally, the film won the Ecumenical Jury Award and the Jury Award of the Europa Cinemas Label. With a total of five awards won, including the main one, As Far As I Can Walk was the most successful film of the 55th International Festival in Karlovy Vary.