Balcanica (first feature)

original title:

Balcanica

directed by:

production:

country:

Italy

year:

2024

format:

colour

status:

Development/Pre-production (11/12/2023)

The border between Bosnia and Slovenia represents the doorway to Europe for those refugees taking the so-called Balkan Route. It is, however, a passage that is massively blocked by the border authorities, who refuse to let absolutely anyone through. But the migrants are undeterred and keep on trying all the same, traversing a dense and nearly impervious snow-covered forest at night in order to reach their destination. The Afghan musicians Jalil and his father Nazar, are headed to Italy where in a week they even have a concert scheduled and where they hope to obtain political asylum They reach the Slovene border, but are brutally beaten and refused entry. At that point, they can but join the many other refugees blocked in that "Bosnian Limbo." These hapless people are invisible to all - authorities and institutions with the sole exception of a group of "international crisis doctors" whose mission is to save anyone in need, regardless of provenance. Among them there is Greta, an Italian doctor on her first mission. The date of the scheduled concert is ever closer and though Nazar's physical condition is desperate after the beating and all the cold he's been exposed to, they're more determined then ever to attempt another border crossing.