Synopsis
Based on a true story, a talented harmonica player Vlad who arrived in Bristol, UK after fleeing the conflict in Yugoslavia, brought his love for Balkan music to the city by forming a band with his friends from work. As the band strives for success, Vlad is haunted by his traumas from his past and his world begins to jeopardise his relationships with those closest to him, particularly his daughter, Maria.
Program Note
This film follows Vlad, a harmonica player and addiction counselor who fled the Yugoslav Wars and settled in Bristol. Forming a Balkan band to bridge past and present, he struggles between family expectations and his own pain. Inspired by the director's father, the film explores music, counseling, family conflict and reconciliation, and inner wounds, reflecting both life's weight and the hope of healing. It favors subtle emotional currents and everyday rhythms over big drama, offering an intimate look at the character's inner world. Delicate direction, blending emotion, music, and reality, and Slavko Sobin's restrained performance make this a striking British debut. (Jo Ji-hoon)