Serbian Oscar Nominee
During his professional career, every train driver inadvertently kills 20 to 30 people. Their victims are usually suicides,careless, drunken, or just absent-minded people. This is a tragic comedy about innocent murderers and their lives.
Statistics say that during his professional career every train driver unintentionally kills 15 to 20 people. ”Read ”Close”
The victims are those who wanted to commit suicide, the careless ones, drunken ones, or just absentminded ones.
The fact is that a train can’t stop for at least 700 meters – automatically relieves the train drivers of any responsibility. Being thus innocent of numerous deaths – makes these mass murderers a group of people with a special mental and psychological profile. This is a story about the innocent murderers and their lives.
Ilija is a 60-year-old train driver, close to retiring. He holds the infamous record of 28 kills committed during his career. Ilija’s 19 years old adopted son Sima is preparing to take over the family trade and his father’s job. During the long drives Ilija tells his son that accidents will happen.
Sima is afraid, unwilling to become a killer. He is most interested in time that usually elapses from the first run to the first kill. Old drivers say – encouraging him – that it will happen very quickly, within the first week. Sima starts with his daily drives.
He is anxious, sweating, not sleeping at night. Days pass… First week, second week, third week… he just did not run anyone over. His tension is now unbearable.
Trying to help him, his father finds suicidal people, negotiates with them, offering them to swap jumping off a bridge or skyscraper with falling under the wheels of a train.
Having no choice, Ilija decides to lie down on the tracks to helps his only son.
Fortunatelly, suicidal man jumps infront of Sima’s train… Ilija smiles with satisfaction.
His son has become a real train driver!
Screenwriter and Director: Miloš Radović
Director of photography: Dušan Joksimovićs.a.s.
Finance Manager: Jelica Rosandić
Production designer: Aljoša Spajić
Costume designer: Dragica Laušević
Sound: Aleksandar Protić Prota
Editor: Đorđe Marković
Composers: Mate Matišić, Šimun Matišić
Make/up Artist: Jasmina Lilić, Aleksandra Mitić, Dušica Vuksanović
Executive producer: Miodrag Stevanović
Producers: Lazar Ristovski, Petar Ristovski
Co-producer: Ivan Maloča
Cast:
Lazar Ristovski – Ilija
Petar Korać – Sima
Pavle Erić – Little Sima
Mirjana Karanović – Jagoda
Jasna Đurišić – Sida
Mladen Nelević – Dragan Disel
Nina Janković – Danica
Danica Ristovski – Manager
Haris Burina – Ljuba Manijak
Tihomir Stanić – Suicide
Đurđina Radić – Sneža
Nenad Ćirić – School principal
Nataša Marković Mother
Nikola Bulatović Dad
Bojan Dimitrijević – Psychologist
Jovan Ristovski – Romeo
Teodora Ristovski – Teacher Nada
Bojan Žirović – The educator
Radmila Đorđević – A woman from Pirot
Dragan Marjanović – A man from Pirot
Branka Šelić – Tram driver
Jelena Trkulja – Colleague psychologist
Jovo Maksić – Luster
Goran Šušljak – Doctor
Tamara Belošević – Journalist
Aleksandar Gligorić – Salama
Aleksandar Letić – Photographer
Marko Baćović – Inspector
FESTIVALS AND AWARDS
2016.
Moscow IFF | Audience Award ”Read ”Close”
Festival International du Film de Bruxelles / Belgium | Grand Prix Award
2016 European FF Palić | Specijalna nagrada žirija
Sarajevo Film Festival | Special Jury Prize
International Film Festival of Kerala – India
CINEDAYS Festival of European Film – Macedonia
ARPA International Film Festival – California – Best Feature Film | Best Screenplay
Delhi International Film Festival – India
Leskovački internacionalni festival filmske režije
Special recognition to Miloš Radović for the film Train Driver’s Diary, 65th Mannheim Heidelberg International Film Festival, Germany
Cinema City International Film Festival – Novi Sad
Montenegro Film Festival – Herceg Novi
Festival filmskog scenarija u Vrnjačkoj Banji
Film Festival of Acting Achievements – Film Encounters in Niš
Montréal World Film Festival – Canada
Raindance Film Festival London – UK
Warsaw FF – Poland
Stockholm International Film Festival – Sweden
Sao Paulo International Film Festival – Brasil
Leiden International Film Festival – The Netherlands
2017.
Balkan film festival, Uruguay – Special mention in the category Best movie ”Read ”Close”
Prague International Film Festival – Golden star for the best movie/ Golden star for the best actor/ Grand prix award
64th Pula Film Festival (Croatian Minority Co-Production programme) – Best Director and Best Minority Co-Production award from Young Cinephiles Jury
Portland International Film Festival / USA – Audience Award
Winter Film Awards – Indie Film Fest, New York / USA – Best Director
Guadalajara International Film Festival / Mexico – The Golden Iguana
Jaipur International Film Festival / India – The Best Director, Golden Camel Award
Balkan New Film Festival / Sweden – The Best Movie
Shanghai International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival – USA
San Francisco Indie Fest – USA
LET’s CEE Vienna – Austria
Cinequest Film & VR Festival, San Jose – USA
Bengaluru International Film Festival – India
Prague International Film Festival – Febiofest – Czech Republic
goEast Film Festival, Wiesbaden – Germany
International Film Festival of Thrissur – India
Prague Independent Film Festival | Golden Eagle, Grand Prix for film
DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR’S FILMOGRAPHY:
Miloš Radović
/director/screenwriter/
Milos Radovic is a Serbian scriptwriter and director. He has received around 60 international awards for his work (including the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival for a short feature film). He has written and directed three feature films Small World, Falling Into Paradise, Train Driver’s Secret, four TV series and five theatre plays (one of them was staged OFF Broadway).
- Fairy tales and songs from weddings and funerals 2006
- Falling in the Paradise 2004
- A Small World 2003
- Svastara (TV mini-series) 1994-1995
- Open doors (TV series)
- Zagreb-Belgrade over the Sarajevo (TV movie) 1991
- Balkan ekspres 2 (TV series) 1989
- Happy end 1988
- Balkan Express 2 1987
- The sudden and premature death of Colonel K.K. (short)
- 1987 Vidim ti ladju na kraju puta (TV movie) 1987
- Brod plovi za Sangaj (TV movie) 1989
Press
ŠTA SE DESILO S LJUDSKOŠĆU?
Ponovo se radi o politici i o ženama koje su žrtve sveta muškaraca. Kao u takmičarskim filmovima „Koblic“ iz Argentine i iranskom „Another Night“ (pisali smo o njima), i u filmu „The dark Wind“ (tamni vetar) kurdskog reditelja Huseina Hasana za glavni ženski rezervisana je pasivna uloga. Reko i Pero su jezidijski ljubavni par sa severa Iraka. Na početku vidimo patrijarhalne očeve porodica koji daju svoju saglasnost za organizovanje njihovog venčanja.
Lepa Pero smeška se u pozadini. Tada selo napada IS (islamska država) baš kada je Reko napolju. Samoprozvani božji ratnici otimaju žene i prodaju ih svojim istomišljenicima. Reko, međutim, uspeva da je oslobodi. Ali Pero je traumatizovana, zbog otmice i silovanja izgubila je volju za životom i distancirana je i apatična i prema svom vereniku. Pored toga je i trudna, što zajednica smatra „sramotom“. A šta se desilo sa ljudskošću? To pitanje nalazi se u središtu Hasanovog filma, koji počinje kao ratni film i onda se pretvara u psihološku dramu. Zbog otvorenog kraja ovog kontraverznog filma odjek tog pitanja još je intenzivniji.
Lejla, četrdesetogodišnja žena iz Istanbula, uzela je sebi, međutim, slobodu da sama odlučuje o svom životu. U turskom filmu „Wedding Dance“ rediteljke Cigdem Sezgin ona je kao razvedena žena postala autsajder. Njena prijateljica to naziva pravim imenom: „Svi ovde vole seksualne lutkice, ali ne i samouverene žene.“ Ali kod mlađeg taksiste Ahmeta stvari su izgleda ipak drugačije. On se upušta u vezu sa Lejlom.
Read more "Close"
Mašinovođa Ilija koji ima oko 60 godina, doživeo je već više od 30 smrti – nikada on nije bio kriv i uvek mu je bilo žao, ali takav je život. Njegovim kolegama dešava se isto to. Ali kako će njegov usvojeni sin Sima prevazići strah koji mori mašinovođe? Potrebna je samo prava inicijacija. Suviše jezivo? Hm, to je stvar ukusa, ali u okviru ovogodišnjeg festivala ovaj hrabri film svakako predstavlja prijatan izuzetak.
Tomas Gros reč kritike za nemački časopis Manhajmer morgen
“WORD OF THE CRITIC” (CULTURE NEWS RTS 20.09.2016.)
At a time when the cinema repertoire is characterized by the sovereign rule of blockbusters, we are confronted with a production with a soul that fits far more into the trends set by European cinema and American independent film than into local cinematic templates.
THE TRAIN DRIVER’S DIARY is a small film, but also an important indication that domestic cinema can head in another direction, towards more universal, more intellectual, less pretentious themes. The story about train drivers, about their profession and desperation for becoming killers of careless individuals and those who consciously choose to end their life, is nevertheless not so grim. Director and screenwriter Milos Radovic has opted in favor of tragicomedy, even a romantic and melodramatic and witty story about sense of guilt, compassion, solidarity, and forgiveness.
”Read The plot of the film is built up by a strange texture of comic-absurd situations which lead to a potentially happy epilogue – despite tragic outcomes. The focus is on the tender parental relationship between a train driver on the threshold of retirement – played by Lazar Ristovski, and his adopted son that chose the same job, albeit fearing that he shall become a killer like his father. Even though he has more than 70 roles under his belt, including appearances in previous Radovic’s films – MALI SVET and FALLING INTO THE PARADISE (Pad u raj), the experienced actor confronted the challenging role of Ilija the train driver. A challenge that might have well generated the performance of his life. Impressive “cameo” roles have been rendered by the effective Danica Ristovski, the authentic Mirjana Karanovic, and the charismatic Jasna Djuricic. Sympathies have been earned by the young Petar Korać as the adopted son Sima. Based on imaginative direction, the film is clean and without exhibitions. The protagonists introduce us to their small living space, at times even into a world of fantasy, leading to the impression that the structure and style of the film mirrors the works of the cult Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki. Linking seemingly incompatible elements and introducing hints of a poetic fairy tale, the director placed the heroes in their somewhat utopian railway-defined micro-world that the viewer easily sympathizes with. Humanistic, unpretentious, and humorous THE TRAIN DRIVER’S DIARY is a simply charming production that reconciles art film with the taste of the wider audience. The happy ending with the optimistic message is well earned by Radovic’s appealing heroes, and deserved by the viewers. ”Close”
Sandra Perovic
“It’s been a long time since our film industry last originated such an honest and professional film like Train Driver’s Diary by Milos Radovic. Sensitized against scams by young lions and spent elderly performers, against garage-based spiritually defaulted artists, revolutionary ignoramuses and festival oriented sycophants, we’ve learned to consider with great caution and skepticism anything related to domestic films.
The Train Driver’s Diary is a film that restores faith in the ability of telling a story, a film that loves its heroes and their mission, and a film that charms with the coherence of the whole as well as with exciting and attractive segments, witty inserts of folk and black humor, with acting that goes beyond mannerism for the elderly, and a performance that knocks on the door of revelation for the younger. The Train Driver’s Diary is a completely unexpected soothing balm for the wounds of Serbian film and a spiritual ascent for the spectators who still believe in it.”
Goran Jovanovic
During his professional career, every train driver inadvertently kills 20 to 30 people. Their victims are usually suicides,careless, drunken, or just absent-minded people. This is a tragic comedy about innocent murderers and their lives.
Devising a proper concept means half the job is done. Audacity is another half. It took certain courage from Miloš Radović to concoct death in all its possible shapes and forms without turning his film into a rampaging black comedy. Or, in spite of the fact it’s ultimately a comedy, to make the audience feel deeply sorry for some characters, although not those who, almost like in Charlie Chaplin films, stupidly end up under a train.
”Read „Dnevnik mašinovođe“ je konceptualan, utoliko što na ovome svetu postoje zakonomernosti po kojima je smrt pod vozom sve drugo samo ne tragedija. Pretpostavljam da autori nisu morali da ulože napora da definišu ovaj koncept. On je već titrao na površini, i njima je dovoljno bilo da dodatno razrade ideju i dodaju prstohvat grotesknog. Pomalo čudi da se toga niko nije setio ranije. While coming of age is more or less clear (with first sex as an initiation ritual naturally turning into first incident on the railroad), growing old obtains one more level of meaning. It has nothing to do with comic situations or the theme of implacable fate that can’t be stopped. It is an accurate study of callousness that grows in a person with age if they haven’t experienced enough love. However, Radović chooses to end this storyline be melting the ice in Ilija’s heart as he at last plucks up courage to hold his son and tell him something encouraging. After all, the film must contain something the audience is used to. And classic finale where everyone dies might’ve betn a bit too much for them. ”Close”
Najneobičniji element filma predstavlja ta čudna kombinacija rutinskih železničkih propisa i nečeg toliko vanrednog kao što je smrt. Na kraju krajeva, uvod nije plod mašte scenariste: statistički se pouzdano zna koliko će ljudi jedan mašinovođa ubiti tokom svog radnog veka (u Rusiji je to u proseku od 8 do 10). Crta koja razdvaja „može“ i „treba“ je zaista vrlo tanka. Radović je samo premestio fokus sa prvog na ovo drugo, baš kao što i njegovi junaci prebace polugu menjača u kabini, kočeći više radi poštovanja pravilnika službe nego u pokušaju da spreče neizbežno. Štaviše, stvarni propisi s ove strane platna nalažu da mašinovođa odsustvuje s posla određeni broj dana nakon takve nesreće na pruzi. Uz malčice filmske magije takva se nesreća može pretočiti u srećnu okolnost. Članovi porodice Todorović, iz koje su ponikle čak četiri generacije mašinovođa, marljivo i sa izvjesnom dozom ponosa broje svoje žrtve pa im i grobove povremeno posećuju – ne videći u njima svoje žrtve već žrtve neke više pravde čijom se produženom rukom smatraju i Todorovići i njihove kolege. Nazire se u tome i određeni klasični element, naročito u neobičnom shvatanju smrti, jer klasična umetnost nije podrazumevala strah i odbojnost koju danas osećamo prema smrti. Likovi „Dnevnika mašinovođe“ žive takoreći kao jedna proširena porodica u otpisanim vagonima; katkad čak i njihove žene pa i deca stradaju pod točkovima voza kojim upravlja neki od kolega. Ali mladi Sima isprva oseća samo strah. Njima nije teško da i sami legnu na šine iz nekog taktičkog razloga, što opet odražava stav klasike da smrt nije kraj. Pojavljivanje još uvek mlade a davno pokojne žene već osedelog Ilije Todorovića može unekoliko predstavljati i indirektan dokaz u prilog tome. S druge strane, svi su ubeđeni da je stari Ilija naprosto poludeo. Ne odstupajući ni za trenutak od logike realnog života, Miloš Radović je čudesno kombinuje s velikim dozama grotesknog, pa je za gledaoca izuzetno smešno gledati kako jedan Todorović stari dok drugi postaje zreliji.
Igor Saveljev