The Uncle

Yugoslavia, late 1980s. Parents and son are hastily making the final preparations for Christmas Eve dinner. Their beloved uncle from Germany will be parking his Mercedes in front of the house any moment now and everything has to be ready. But, wait a minute, are things really as they seem? In their debut film directors Andrija Mardešić and David Kapac cleverly balance on the edge of farce and oppressive thriller while ingeniously toying with narrative structure. The atmosphere of the piece, set almost entirely in a single location, is unsettling in a way reminiscent of Haneke, heightened by a persuasive performance from popular Serbian actor Miki Manojlović in the role of the uncle. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)