The first to be shown at the opening ceremony is Derek Pedros’ short film Islander. “Being an islander is more than a sense of belonging. It is a mark that lives and accompanies you all your life, wherever you go or live. It is feeling complete in a place where others feel isolated. Free, where others feel limited. It is sometimes feeling the enormous need to flee, and always the brutal need to return. This dance film is about what we who have grown up with the rumor of the waves marking incessant pulse, share,” Derek Pedros describes his film.
Islander will symbolically represent ARCTIC OPEN’s Film Story Through Dance, a training lab to open its doors three days prior to the official opening of the festival.
Closing the opening ceremony will be drama God exists, her name is Petrunya by Theona Mitevska (Macedonia). This film will be presented by Theona’s brother Vuk Mitevski, who acted as a production designer for it.
Teona Strugar Mitevska’s film follows 32-year-old educated unemployed Petrunya. On her way home from a particularly offensive job interview throws herself into the water to catch a cross in a traditional male competition. Petrunya grabs the cross. The orthodox Macedonian community feel they have every right to be furious.
“There is a reason for the word ‘open’ to be in the festival’s name. ARCTIC OPEN welcomes films also from nations other than Arctic. Theona Mitevska’s God exists, her name is Petrunya, which has already earned a reputation as a major hit with European film festivals, is going to be one of the best highlights of this year’s ARCTIC OPEN FF. The Mitevskis are an interesting family of actors and directors, with Labina Mitevska as actress, her sister Theona as director and brother Vuk Mitesvki as producer and production designer. They own a production studio which has been quite fruitful producing award-winning films. Petrunya, however, stands out as a film of unrivalled success. Nearly all of the dozens of film festivals it has competed at so far have awarded Petrunya with their top awards. With ARCTIC OPEN, Petrunya is on non-competition program,” said Alexey Medvedev, ARCTIC OPEN International Programmer for official and non-competition selections.
Vuk Mitevski will be there to present the film at the opening ceremony in Rus’ Cinema on December 4 at 6 pm. There will be the second showing in Severodvinsk on December 5 at 7 pm (KinoTSUM Cinema House).