The Beast by Miroslav Sikavica at Director’s Fortnight in Cannes
The short film The Beast by Miroslav Sikavica, produced by Zagreb’s Propeler Film, has been selected for the Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival which will be held from May 11th to 22nd. The programme, running since 1969, presents the public with new names in film direction uncovering authors with a strong and unique poetic.
Miroslav Sikavica has made approximately 30 documentary films, including the award-winning film The Cloud (2011), a feature documentary film about the victim of youth violence, Luka Ritz.
The Beast is a realistic story about how a shady and rashly accepted construction job at a coastal resort on the Adriatic Coast turns complicated for a backhoe dredger operator who, in order to save his fatherly authority and complete a legal, but dirty, job has to dispose of an unwanted witness – his son.
‘In my second short film, The Beast, I tried to discuss, through a subtle and condensed narrative, the issues of illegal construction and a patriarchal society, without moralizing, using economic means and the physical relationship between father and son. Some see social opportunities as desperate and rash, while others, through their own foolishness, become witnesses and accessories to human drama,’ said director Miroslav Sikavica.
The film is written by Miroslav Sikavica and Marija Šimoković Sikavica, and the lead roles are played by Ivan Smoljo and Marko Ban. The cinematographer is Danko Vučinović, the editor is Marko Ferković, and the sound designer is Martin Semenčić. The art director is Veronika Radman, the costume designer is Morana Starčević, and make-up artist is Mirna Čurak. The producers are Boris T. Matić and Lana Ujdur from Propeler Film. Propeler Film also produced another short film that premiered in competition at Cannes, Ciao Mama (2009) by Goran Odvorčić.
The Director’s Fortnight is held simultaneously with the Cannes Film Festival, and the programme screens short, feature and documentary films from all over the world. Throughout its history the programme has attracted the attention of both viewers and critics and has introduced them to some of today’s most successful directors. It is within this programme that the debut works of Werner Herzog, Martin Scorsese and Ken Loach were screened.
The Beast is co-financed by funds provided by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre.
*Photos from the film, trailer, author’s notes and press book can be found here.
More information about the Director’s Fortnight is available here.
