Monday at the Split Film Festival was a bit more relaxed, with fewer screenings. The program took place at only three locations in the city center, which allowed the audience to watch almost all of the films on offer without rushing.
The feature film competition program featured an intimate story about the search for identity, heritage, and one’s place in the world, Alma Blu by director Alice Palchetti, the second world premiere in this year’s feature film competition. The three-day, thematically diverse competition was closed by Punku, directed by J.D. Fernández Molero from Peru, which premiered at this year’s Berlinale and has already won numerous awards. It is an unusual story imbued with fantastic and surreal elements from rich South American folklore.
The short film competition program also ended last night. At the Golden Gate Cinematheque, the audience once again watched six excellent experimental films, which highlighted diverse approaches, innovative solutions and a bold exploration of the boundaries of film expression. The greatest enthusiasm was caused by the only Croatian film in this year’s competition — Žega by directors Goran Nježić and Matija Tomić. The film follows three young friends and their small, almost insignificant rebellions against everyday life, while the anxiety of the city’s emptiness presses on them relentlessly.
The two-day Dunja’s Nights festival, dedicated to Tatjana Dunja Ivanišević from Split, a pioneer of feminist film, began at the Academia Club Ghetto. The festival was created in collaboration with the Mavena association – 36 of Her Miracles, and the program was presented by the author of the concept Natasha Kadin, in the presence of director May Kassem, whose film Pulse was one of the biggest film attractions of the day. Over the course of two days, the audience has the opportunity to watch video installations, video poetry, and experimental short and feature films inspired by the avant-garde, experimental, and feminist legacy that Žemsko established back in 1968. Definitely a program worth noting for the festival’s finale.