Father (Otac)

Serbia, France, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2020; 120 minut

Screenplay:  Srdan Golubović, Ognjen Svilicić; cast: Goran Bogdan, Boris Isaković, Nada Šargin, Milica Janevski, Muharem Hamzić, Ajla Šantić, Vahid Džanković, Jovo Maksić, Milan Marić, Nikola Rakocevic
festivals, awards (selection): Berlinale 2020 (Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Panorama Audience Award), FEST Beograd 2020 (Best Film, Best Actor, Stella Artois Prize), Sofia 2020


Srdan Golubić’s fourth feature tells the tale of a father's epic journey across Serbia to get his children back from foster care, a heroic fight that redefines the word hero. A moving ode to human tenacity and parental love.

After Nikola’s wife has attempted suicide, the casual labourer’s two children are taken away from him and placed with foster parents. A temporary arrangement, it is alleged. However, following an assessment of Nikola’s housing conditions, the head of the social welfare office in their small Serbian village decides that Nikola is too poor to provide an adequate living environment for his children. The reticent Nikola decides to lodge a complaint with the Ministry of Social Affairs in Belgrade. He is determined to cover the 300 kilometres to the capital on foot. In this way, he intends to show the authorities how far he is willing to go for his children – literally.