Renovacija / Renovation

The car must be parked perfectly. It is clear in the first scene that this film’s protagonist, Ilona, is something of a control freak. Her boyfriend, exasperated, gets out of the car. The two have recently moved in together. The spacious flat in a quiet neighbourhood seems ideal for starting their life together. Yet shortly before her thirtieth birthday, Ilona, who is working as a journalist, asks herself what she really wants from life. The renovation of their apartment building, which has just started, completely throws her for a loop; the construction noise hinders her writing, the cracks in the walls are clearly symbolic. The gorgeous 16 mm cinematography makes Ilona’s insecurity visible. Everything seems uncertain and up in the air. She befriends Oleg, a construction worker from Ukraine, and tells him she’s a poet. Ilona then actually starts putting down her feelings in words, which kicks off a surprising journey of discovery.