A Wonderful Night in Split
Encyclopedia
A Wonderful Night in Split is a 2004 Croatia
n drama film
directed by Arsen Anton Ostojić
featuring an ensemble cast starring Nives Ivanković, Marinko Prga, Marija Škaričić, Dino Dvornik
and Coolio
.
night in the Croatian port city of Split
, where it follows three parallel plots. The first plot line features a small-time drug dealer Nike (Marinko Prga) and a young widow Marija (Nives Ivanković); the second plot line deals with a drug addict called Maja (Marija Škaričić) who decides to have sex with an US Navy sailor called Franky (Coolio
) in exchange for some heroin; the third one shows a young couple, Luka and Anđela (Vicko Bilandžić and Ivana Roščić) who spend the night desperately looking for a place to celebrate the New Year by having their first sexual experience. The plots are connected through Dino Dvornik
's concert, where all of them pass through at some point, and through the omnipresent fireworks that dot the night sky over the course of the film.
, as well as the Birch award for best directing debut and the Oktavijan critics' choice award.
The film's cinematographer, Mirko Pivčević
, was nominated for the Golden Frog award at the Camerimage
festival, the most renowned European festival dedicated to cinematography, and the film was also shown at the Sarajevo Film Festival
as part of their regional program, where it won the Jury Prize for Best Film, and for Best Actress (Marija Škaričić). It has also earned the director, Arsen Ostojić, a nomination for the European Discovery of the Year at the European Film Awards, as well as the Best Feature Film award at the 2006 RiverRun International Film Festival
.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Arsen Anton Ostojić
Arsen Anton Ostojić
Arsen Anton Ostojić is an acclaimed Croatian film director and screenwriter.Ostojić belongs to the young generation of Croatian directors who rose to prominence in the 2000s...
featuring an ensemble cast starring Nives Ivanković, Marinko Prga, Marija Škaričić, Dino Dvornik
Dino Dvornik
Miljenko "Dino" Dvornik was a Croatian singer, songwriter, music producer, actor and reality television star.-Early life:...
and Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
.
Synopsis
The film is set over the course of a New Year's EveNew Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
night in the Croatian port city of Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, where it follows three parallel plots. The first plot line features a small-time drug dealer Nike (Marinko Prga) and a young widow Marija (Nives Ivanković); the second plot line deals with a drug addict called Maja (Marija Škaričić) who decides to have sex with an US Navy sailor called Franky (Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
) in exchange for some heroin; the third one shows a young couple, Luka and Anđela (Vicko Bilandžić and Ivana Roščić) who spend the night desperately looking for a place to celebrate the New Year by having their first sexual experience. The plots are connected through Dino Dvornik
Dino Dvornik
Miljenko "Dino" Dvornik was a Croatian singer, songwriter, music producer, actor and reality television star.-Early life:...
's concert, where all of them pass through at some point, and through the omnipresent fireworks that dot the night sky over the course of the film.
Production and reception
Since the film was designed as a visual commentary of social problems that Split is well-known for in Croatia, depicted here as always involving drugs and awkward relationships, the whole film was shot in black-and-white photography. The resulting effect is an atmosphere of anxiety and depression, set to contrast the colorful mood of open-air New Year celebrations in Split's main square. The film won the Golden Arena awards for Best Cinematography (Marko Pivčević) and Best Film Editing (Dubravko Slunjski) at the 2004 Pula Film FestivalPula Film Festival
The Pula Film Festival is the oldest Croatian film festival which is held annually in a Roman amphitheater known as the Pula arena since 1954. The festival is usually held in the summer, in July or August....
, as well as the Birch award for best directing debut and the Oktavijan critics' choice award.
The film's cinematographer, Mirko Pivčević
Mirko Pivčević
Mirko Pivčević is an award-winning Croatian cinematographer.Pivčević's career began in the late 1990s, with a string of short documentary films and music videos. His first feature film was Alone , which won him his first Golden Arena for Best Cinematography award at the 2001 Pula Film Festival,...
, was nominated for the Golden Frog award at the Camerimage
Camerimage
The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE is a festival dedicated to cinematography and its creators cinematographers.The first seven events were held in Toruń, Poland. The next ten events were held in Łódź...
festival, the most renowned European festival dedicated to cinematography, and the film was also shown at the Sarajevo Film Festival
Sarajevo Film Festival
The Sarajevo Film Festival is the premier and largest film festival in the Balkans, and is one of the largest in Europe. It was founded in Sarajevo in 1995 during the siege of Sarajevo, and brings international and local celebrities to Sarajevo every year. It is held in August and showcases an...
as part of their regional program, where it won the Jury Prize for Best Film, and for Best Actress (Marija Škaričić). It has also earned the director, Arsen Ostojić, a nomination for the European Discovery of the Year at the European Film Awards, as well as the Best Feature Film award at the 2006 RiverRun International Film Festival
RiverRun International Film Festival
The RiverRun International Film Festival is a regional film festival held annually each spring in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The festival is a 5013 non-profit organization and presents a variety of feature-length and short films from all genres, and also presents special events, regional...
.