rotterdam

3. Take Me Somewhere Nice (Ena Sendijarevic) 

Prior to the festival I was aware that this film was in the making, because as both a filmmaker and a fellow Dutch-Bosnian, I follow the work of the writer/director Ena Sendijarevic. Shortly before IFFR was going to kick off, it was announced that Take Me Somewhere Nice will premiere in Rotterdam. And that it was one of the contenders for the Tiger Award, the most important prize at IFFR. Much was written in the press about the exceptional talent of Ena Sendijarevic, hailed as the next big Dutch director. So the expectations were very high. No surprise that the film sold out at a maddening pace. I was lucky enough to score a ticket on time, though for the very last screening. So I had to wait untill the last regular festival day to see it. And it was certainly worth the wait!

Take Me Somewhere Nice centers on teenage girl Alma, born in Holland, but of Bosnian origin. She lives in the Netherlands with her mother. She barely remembers her father, who chose Bosnia over his family long ago because he was suffering from nostalgia. Upon hearing that her father is lying ill in a hospital in Bosnia, Alma decides to go and visit him. With some reluctant help from her cousin and his friend she embarks on a roadtrip of discovery. A coming-of-age tale evolves, where the rebellious Alma explores her roots, dual identity and her sexuality.

Watching the film it was clear that the form was more important than the story. And a beautiful form it is. The distinctive meticulous style earned the film a Special Jury Award at IFFR. Sendijarevic and her cinematographer Emo Weemhoff construct a dreamlike, lollypop coloured world on a 4:3 canvas. It’s Bosnia through a lens you’ve never seen before. As told in many intervews and during the Q&A, the director drew heavily on the idea of Bertolt Brechts Verfremdungseffekt. The sense of alienation emphasizes the fact that this world is a construct, sending a broader message that we all construct our own worlds and therefore are able to change them.

Back to the story, it is a simple premise, yet it contains multiple layers of meaning. It is full of references to the state of Bosnian society and growing up between two worlds. Though the story is smart enough, it does not reach the same level as the style and form of the film, For me the story somewhat derails in the third act, which makes the story the weakest element in this otherwise magical production. But it’s just a small stain, and easy to overlook. I am very much looking forward to new endeavours  from this directors creative mind. During the Q&A Sendijarevic said that her next film will be a very Dutch one, centering on Holland’s collonial past. Rests to wait and see.

Take Me Somewhere Nice on IFFR