International Works in Progress
Happiness is just a blue couch away
A mother and son flee an abusive husband, finding fragile refuge in a car, while danger closes in.
On a winter night in Podgorica, Nataša flees with her nine-year-old son. With no home, their red Golf becomes both shelter and trap, as odd jobs, borrowed rooms, and her husband's threats fray a fragile bond. Can love hold when every other refuge is denied?
Main country of production:
Montenegro
Subjects:
child parent relationships, abuse, childhood
Montenegrin film director, screenwriter and producer. Founder of KA Productions and Ablest. His shorts — Barley, Dawn and Reverse — screened at festivals such as Sarajevo, Thessaloniki, CineMed, CineEast, FEKK, Winterthur, Herceg Novi and many others. Currently completing the feature "Happiness Is Just a Blue Couch Away" and developing "Jaglika". Experienced creative lead across campaigns, theatre and music videos.
Iva Kasalica (1995) is a Montenegrin producer with several years of experience in film and other media production. She graduated and specialized in Production at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje, where she is also pursuing a master's degree. She is the recipient of the Film Centre of Montenegro's 'Radomir Pule Milović' scholarship for the best master's student in Production. As a producer or co-producer, she has worked on 11 award-winning short films, including "Praskozorje", "Rikverc", "Poslednja nit", "U koliko krećemo sjutra?", as well as international co-productions such as "Tears of the Mountain" and "Proslava", which have screened at more than 20 European film festivals. Her professional experience includes work in theatre production, television companies, and international projects. She is also active in radio and audio production through original projects and collaborations with national and international institutions.
Montenegrin film director, screenwriter and producer. Founder of KA Productions and Ablest. His shorts — Barley, Dawn and Reverse — screened at festivals such as Sarajevo, Thessaloniki, CineMed, CineEast, FEKK, Winterthur, Herceg Novi and many others. Currently completing the feature "Happiness Is Just a Blue Couch Away" and developing "Jaglika". Experienced creative lead across campaigns, theatre and music videos.