Father Figure

Mojca (45) and Jan (14), mother and son, live in an apartment building in a small town near the Slovene-Croatian border. Recently divorced, Mojca is a teacher at a nearby primary school, where Jan goes, and is currently in ninth – the final – grade. The film starts in the last days of April 2020, just before the children return to school with new, strict anti-epidemic measures implemented. Jan is riding his kick scooter through the seemingly deserted, empty streets of a town in lockdown. He notices a man who has recently moved in their apartment building – into the empty apartment right across the hall from theirs, because a lady who had been living there recently died. Jan is extremely lonely, hurt by his parents’ divorce, and suffering abuse in school. He is also a poet; his poetry is weirdly erotic and he sends videos of himself reciting poetry to girls in his class. His latest obsession becomes a newcomer, a Roma girl called Lady.

Director's note:

Father Figure is a story about the birth of bigotry. It’s a story told in the most micro of environments and the most micro of cells. I’m interested in intimacy, characters, relationships, not political slogans. The message is simple: Whoever will give purpose (Jure) to an individual during the most vulnerable stage of their life (the stage Jan is definitely in) will be the one winning them over. I see no point in arguing about whether violence and bigotry are inherent to all of us, or whether some of us are different, perhaps better than others. In the end, Jan surpasses violence. A lot of people won’t. I didn’t want the film to end on a hopeless note. I believe friendship and reconciliation are possible. Can love really conquer all? Unfortunately not, but it does hold some power over us.

Director's bio:

Nejc Gazvoda (1985) graduated from the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (UL AGRFT) with a degree in Film and Television Directing. For his diploma thesis he was awarded with the academic Prešeren's Award of Academy. In 2011, he wrote, directed, and edited his first feature film, A Trip, that won various national and international awards at various film festivals (Sarajevo, Karlovy Vary, Arras). Two years later, his second feature film, Dual, premiered in competition in Karlovy Vary and won numerous awards (Cinedays Golden Sun, Oslo Skeive best picture). Nejc Gazvoda also co-wrote the film Class Enemy (2013), directed by Rok Biček, which became an international hit. He is also a renowned figure in the field of performing arts.

Producer's bio:

Ales Pavlin is a film and television producer. He is also professor at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television AGRFT in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia.

In 2012, the European Film Promotion (EFP) selected him for the Cannes programme Producers on the Move.
Ales Pavlin is member of European Film Academy (EFA), European Producers Club (EPC), and The National Council for Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.

Company profile:

Perfo Production is one of a leading Slovenian independent film and TV production companies established in 2005 by producers Ales Pavlin and Andrej Stritof. We deliver critically and commercially successful projects to domestic, European, and global audiences. We have a passion for nurturing emerging talent and maintaining creative relationships with established writers, directors, and creatives.

We want to reach a global audience through uplifting, diverse stories with universal themes. We have built relationships with European and international partners, sales agents, distributors, and A-list festivals to ensure our projects reach the widest audience while maintaining artistic vision.

The company has produced many feature-length films, which were all produced in international co-productions, mainly as delegate producer and sometimes as minor co-producer.

We have also produced nine very successful TV series and some short films.
Some films were among top hits in cinemas and all of them were screened at numerous festivals around the world, winning many awards.

Perfo remains a truly independent company retaining and building alliances with key Slovenian and international talent to deliver film and television of the highest quality.

Perfo offers full production services for films, commercials, and television series in Slovenia.