“I think the reception from the audience was very good, they laughed in several places. It is not a light film, but it is very open-ended and allows everyone to believe what they want about the film, its elements, the message it conveys and the stories of this one, or three women”, said actress Ksenija Marinković after the premiere of Have You Seen This Woman? at the Sala Perla in Venice.

In addition to Marinković, other Croatian members of the crew also attended the premiere screening. These were co-producer Tena Gojić, Croatian unit production manager Tena Trstenjak, sound designer Luka Gamulin and composer Stipe Škorić.

“The film definitely stirred up spirits on the Venetian Lido, and it is safe to assume it will produce a similar effect wherever it appears. Bizarre, witty, sometimes dark and brutal, but also warm and touching, it is a film that will definitely not leave you indifferent and this was clear from the audiences reactions to Ksenia Marinković’s masterful performance. This is likely Ksenia’s role of a lifetime. For us as a team, attending such an important event seemed almost surreal and it is a really wonderful start for the film and offers great opportunities for the young team we put together”, said the film’s co-producer Tena Gojić.

Have You Seen This Woman? is directing duo Dušan Zorić and Matija Gluščević’s fiction feature debut and they also penned the script together. The story centres on middle-aged woman Draginja, roaming the city streets during a hot summer day and becoming everyone’s friend, as she searches for her lost memory.

Starring in the film is Ksenija Marinković, with Isidora Simijonović, Boris Isaković, Vlasta Velisavljević, Goran Bogdan, Jasna Đuričić, Radoje Čupić, Olga Odanović, Milica Mihajlović, Ivana Vuković, Miloš Timotijević, Isidora Minić, Alex Elektra, and others appearing in supporting roles.

Have You Seen This Woman? is produced by Čarna Vučinić for Non-Aligned Films from Serbia, in collaboration with the Radio Television of Serbia, the Serbian Faculty of Dramatic Arts and Zagreb production house Dinaridi Films, with the support from Film Center Serbia and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre.

At the Mostra in Venice, the film screened in the independent section, the Venice International Film Critics’ Week (Settimana Internazionale della Critica), that showcased only seven titles from the whole world. The programme is devoted to debut films and it is presented by the National Union of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI).

President of one of two juries deciding on the awards in the International Film Critics’ Week is Slovenian director Rok Biček, the author of last year’s award-winning short Penalty Shot, produced by Croatian company Antitalent. Biček sits on the jury of the partner programme – the streaming platform IWONDERFULL, which will award one of the titles with a 5,000 euro cash prize. The titles in the International Film Critics’ Week programme are also competing for the Lion of the Future Award for best first film of the festival.

In addition, director Teona Strugar Mitevska’s fiction feature The Happiest Man in the World, a minority Croatian co-production (with Croatian co-producer Vanja Sremac for Terminal 3), premiered in Venice on 2nd September.

This year’s 79th edition of the Venice International Film Festival runs 30th August – 10th September. Along with film festivals in Cannes and Berlin, it is one of the most important and oldest film events in the world.

Cover photographs: world premiere of Have You Seen This Woman?