|
Directed by Ivo Trajkov
After the end of World War II, Young Lem, like so many war orphans,
wanders aimlessly through the Macedonian countryside only to
be caught by communist
soldiers. They take him to the children’s orphanage, in fact, a labor
camp where kids go to be ideologically “reprogrammed.” Lem endures
terrible abuse at the hands of the camp leaders, but one day, a mysterious
older boy appears at the orphanage. Lem develops a crush on him, and the two
become
partners in religiously tinged crime.
Macedonia / 90 min. / Macedonian with English and French subtitles / narration in English or original Macedonian version
“Stunning! Extraordinary!”
Dana Stevens, THE NEW YORK
TIMES
“Lem pretty much goes through
his new life in catatonic terror until a bigger boy, Isaac,
arrives, and Lem develops a huge crush. Standoffish at first,
Isaac eventually accepts Lem as his partner in religiously
tinged crime.”
Bob Strauss, LA DAILY NEWS
"Impressive!”
Andrew O'Hehir, SALON.COM
 "Nicely
acted and stylishly photographed."
V.A. Musetto, NY POST
“Haunting! A stark, nightmarishly
powerful evocation of Stalinist Yugoslavia.”
Jay Carr, AM NEW YORK
“The film's highest praise
goes to Saso Kekenovski, the lad who plays the lead role
of Lem. His commanding performance shows him capable of a
range of difficult emotions, and at such a young age, promises
him a lengthy career in film acting."
Paul J. Kowalski, LA SPLASH
“Brilliant! A visual masterpiece!"
Jules Brenner, VARIAGATE.COM
“The story, adapted from a famous behind-the-Iron-Curtain
novel, sheds light on a subject few people have known about."
Jack Mathews, NY DAILY NEWS
“Compelling!”
Leslie Camhi, THE VILLAGE VOICE
"Stunning! The visuals are amazing! The acting
is superb! You will want to watch this movie not once but many times."
Jason Whitaker, GENERATION Q
“Excellent performances by the boys keep you captivated!"
E! ONLINE
“Like many films about the suffering of children
in wartime ( "The Tin Drum," "Forbidden Games," "Au
Revoir les Enfants"), "The Great Water" is difficult to watch,
and just as difficult to forget.”
Dana Stevens, THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Powerful! Chilling! Extremely effective!"
Roxana M. Ramirez, FILM-FORWARD.COM
“Engrossing!”
David Sterritt, THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
"The movie is full of ambitious filmmaking techniques, but, the impressive
cinematography and editing aside, its sound mix is unparalleled in recent history,
particularly for a film working outside of the Hollywood system."
Matthew Smith, FILM JOURNAL
INTERNATIONAL
“Extraordinary.”
Robert Koehler, VARIETY
"Powerful!"
Sean Nelson, THE STRANGER (SEATTLE)
"A complex, ironic, and ultimately very moving story."
Mark R. Leeper, THE MT VOID
“Gorgeous!”
Ken Fox, TV Guide Online
"Verica Nedeska is excellent as Olivera, whose
unquestioned fanaticism and violent reactions haunt the protagonists - and
the viewer - for a long time."
Roxana M. Ramirez, FILM-FORWARD.COM
“An exquisitely crafted film.”
Sheri Linden, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“Beautifully acted, directed,
and photographed.”
Jean Oppenheimer, SCREEN
INTERNATIONAL
 Bonus
CD - The Motion Picture Soundtrack by Kiril Dzajkovski
Interview
with Director
Ivo Trajkov in Prague
Audio
commentary by
Cinematographer/Producer
Suki Medencevic
Photo
gallery
Widescreen
2.35:1 presentation
Theatrical
trailer
Scene
Selections
Coming
Attractions
Dolby
5.1/2.0 Surround Sound
Optional
subtitles in English and French
English
or Macedonian narration
macedonia’s official
submission
best foreign language film
2004 academy awards®
WINNER - Grand Prize
Best Director award
Best Photography award
Best Music award
Valencia
Film Festival
AFI
Film Festival
Palm
Springs Film Festival
Cleveland
International Film Festival
Palm
Beach International Film Festival
Seattle
International Film Festival
Taos
Talking Picture Film Festival
Scottsdale
International Film Festival
Milwaukee
International Film Festival
Newport
Beach Film Festival
Valencia
Film Festival
Macedonian
Film Festival
|
