ALMATY INDIE FILM FESTIVAL
Then comes the evening
Overview
Set amid the remote hills of Eastern Bosnia, THEN COMES THE EVENING provides a quiet meditation on the seemingly uncomplicated pastoral lives of two women. Through simple and precise composition with attention to light and texture, the mundane details of their lives are rendered with the tactile richness of an oil painting. Their every action and word is infused with ceremony, ritual, and intangible cultural heritage in this intimate yet epic examination of how nature and humanity interact.
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Director Biography — Maja Novaković
Novaković holds a Master’s in Art History and is currently undertaking a Ph.D. on the work of Sergei Parajanov at the University of Belgrade, she is also a researcher at the Mathematical Institute at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Then Comes The Evening is her first film.
Director Statement
As a child, I went through the forest to the hill where the grandmas live and looked after the sheep with them. It was always interesting for me to imagine what they were thinking about as they spent the whole day in silence on the meadow with their flock.
The visualization of the images I remember from my childhood was the starting point for making this film. It was important for me to reveal and record small, and even imperceptible, details of the daily lives of humble people and their connection to nature. The paintings and literature of realism had a great influence and encouraged me to make a story without narration, to capture the atmosphere and everyday life without action. In the artworks of realists, the focus was not on big historical and religious scenes, but an ordinary man and his life. I used such aestheticization in the shots because I wanted to frame their lives like a painting. Work on the land is hard, but the common man has peace of soul and a clear conscience when he lays to bed. The still lifes appear through the film to emphasize the vanitas theme, which indicates the transience, the decay of the material.
I also wanted to preserve from oblivion the rituals and chants that are part of my cultural identity. We do something in the field all year round and then the storm comes and we panic because in one evening all of that work can disappear. Then we pray to God and practice those rituals to appease the wrath of nature.
The film is designed as a triptych. The beginning is the green phase with impressionistic colors. The middle is gray - the moment when the storm starts. In the end, the film reaches maturity - the orange phase, as the colors saturate.
Credits
- Director
- Maja Novaković
- Writer
- Maja Novaković
- Producer
- Maja Novaković
- Producer
- Milan Milosavljević
- Cinematography
- Jasna Prolić
- Editing
- Marija Kovačina
- Sound design
- Luka Barajević
- Key Cast
- Obrenija Radić
- Key Cast
- Vinka Radić
- Art director
- Maja Novaković
- Production assitant
- Nikica Novaković
Specifications
- Original title
- A sad se spušta veče
- Project type
- Documentary, Short
- Runtime
- 27 minutes 30 seconds
- Completion date
- April 8, 2019
- Production budget
- 8,000 EUR
- Country of origin
- Serbia
- Countries of filming
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Language
- Serbian
- Shooting format
- Digital
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9
- Film color
- Color
- First-time filmmaker
- Yes
- Student project
- No
- Digital Cinema Package
- Unavailable
Awards & Festivals
Visions du Réel
Nyon
Switzerland
April 9, 2019
World premiere
Hot Docs
Toronto
Canada
April 26, 2019
North American premiere
Sarajevo Film Festival
Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
August 18, 2019
Regional premiere
Short film festival in Drama
Drama
Greece
September 18, 2019
Greek premiere
Reykjavik International Film Festival
Reykjavik
Iceland
October 2, 2019
Nordic premiere
DokuBaku IDFF
Baku
Azerbaijan
Azerbeijani premiere
Jihlava IDFF (Silver Eye nominee)
Jihlava
Czech Republic
Czech premiere
Silver Eye Award 2019 nominees – short documentaries
Entrevues Belfort Festival International du Film
Belfort
France
French premiere
Prix du public pour le court metrage
Camerimage
Tourn
Poland
Polish premiere
Bogoshorts
Bogota
Colombia
South American premiere
Auteur Film Festival
Belgrade
Serbia
November 28, 2019
National premiere
Jury special mention
Cinema Verite Iran IDFF
Tehran
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Asian premiere
Special Jury Award
Premiers Plans - Angers Film Festival
Angers
France
January 24, 2020
Jury Special Mention
Pančevo Film Festival
Pančevo
Serbia
December 7, 2019
Best short film
Kustendorf
Mokra Gora
Serbia
January 14, 2020
2ANNAS
Riga
Latvia
February 15, 2020
Baltic premiere
Filmer le Travail
Poitiers
France
Grand Prix
Big Sky Film Fest
Missoula
USA premiere
MiradasDOCS
Guia de Isora
Spain
February 2, 2020
Spanish premiere
Jury Special Mention
Salem film festival
Salem
United States
Massachusetts premiere
REGARD - Festival international du court métrage au Saguenay
Saguenay
Canada
Quebec premiere
Film Fest Sundsvall
Sundsvall
Sweden
Swedish premiere
Busan ISFF
Busan
Korea, Republic of
Korean premiere
ZagrebDOX
Zagreb
Croatia
Croatian premiere
Martovski
Belgrade
Serbia
Full Frame Documentay Film Festival
Durham
United States
East coast premiere
Best short film
Vienna Shorts
Vienna
Austria
Austrian premiere
OFF International Film Festival
Odense
Denmark
Danish premiere
SEE Film Fest LA
Los Angeles
United States
West coast premiere
Best short documentary
Trento Film Festival
Trento
Italy
Italian premiere
Best short
Rural Film Fest
Alicante
Spain
Beyond Borders Film Festival
Kastellorizo
Greece
Best short documentary
DokuFest
Prizren
Nevada City Film Festival
Nevada City
United States
Best cinematography
FEST – New Directors | New Films Festival
Espinho
Portugal
Portuguese premiere
DOKer Fest
Moscow
Russian Federation
Russian premiere
17th IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival
Varna
Bulgaria
Bulgarian premiere
Film Festival della Lessinia
Bosco Chiesanuova
Italy
FEKK
Ljubljana
Slovenia
Slovenian premiere
FIPRESCI jury award
Mediteran Film Festival
Široki Brijeg
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jury Spacial Mention
MakeDOX
Skopje
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonian premiere
Cine-DOC
Tbilisi
Georgia
Georgian
Special screening
Pobedilivmeste
Sevastopol
Vrmdža Fest
Vrmdža
Serbia
Grand Prix
Recontre du Film Documentaire de Mellionnec
Mellionec
France
Brettagne
Innsbruck Nature Film Festival
Innsbruck
Austria
Best short film
European Film Festival Palić
Palić
Serbia
Pärnu International Documentary and Science Film Festival
Pärnu
Estonia
Estonian
Special award for artistic achievement
Aesthetica Short Film Festival
York
United Kingdom
UK premiere
Poklon Viziji: First Crossings
Nova Gorica/Goritza
Italy
Jury special mention
Uppsala Short Film Festival
Uppsala
Sweden
ex-YU
Arica Nativa Rural Film Festival
Arica
Chile
Chilean premiere
Best rural short
OtherMovie Lugano Film Festival
Lugano
Switzerland
Grand prix
Ulju Mountain Film Festival
Ulju
Korea, Republic of
Grand Prize
Banff Centre Mountain Film
Banff
Canada
Grand Prize
Kerry International Film Festival
Kerry
Ireland
Irish premiere
International Ethnographic Film Festival
Belgrade
Serbia
Best national film
Bosforus Film Festival
Istambul
Turkey
Turkish premiere
Japanese-Serbian Film Festival
Belgrade
Serbia
International Short Film Festival - Film Front
Novi Sad
Serbia
HollyShorts
Los Angeles
United States
Market
Un Festival C’est Trop Court
Nice
France
Eastern Neighbors Film Festival
Haague
Netherlands
Dutch premiere
St. Louis International Film Festival
St. Louis
United States
Missouri premiere
New Orleans Film Festival
New Orleans
United States
Louisiana Premiere
Belo Horizonte International Short Film Festival
Belo Horizonte
Brazil
Brazilian premiere
Glimmerglass film days
Glimmerglass
United States
DOC NYC
New York City
United States
November 11, 2020
New York City premiere
Shorts: Short list
Kendal Mountain Film festival
United Kingdom
SFFilm
San Francisco
United States
Doc Stories
L'Alternativa Independent Film Festival of Barcelona
Barcelona
Spain
Jury special mention
International Film Festival Prvi kadar
Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Grand prize
Cinema Eye Honors
short list