14/11/2024 - The newest fiction feature by the prolific Slovenian filmmaker deals with the protagonist’s internalised guilt in the wake of the crime she has committed

Maja Izetbegović and Goran Bogdan in Twenty Meters (© Urša Premik)

The principal photography stage of Damjan Kozole’s newest film, Twenty Meters, began last Thursday on location in the Slovenian coastal town of Piran, which has been a popular destination for Slovenian and international filmmakers to shoot in recently. At the start of filming, the prolific Slovenian helmer stated that he drew inspiration from the classic novel Crime and Punishment by FM Dostoyevsky and added: “In a town where everybody knows everybody and everything, the protagonist has to contend with a dark secret and her own conscience.”

The story revolves around Veronika, a mother of two who killed a corrupt municipal official. With the assistance of her younger daughter, she disposed of the body one night by tossing it into the sea. Nobody suspects she is involved in his disappearance, but the guilt burdens her as well as her family.

Kozole is one of the rare Slovenian filmmakers whose work is continually present on the international film festival circle. His film Spare Parts (2003) premiered at the Berlinale and enjoyed a successful festival run afterwards. Slovenian Girl [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2009) also had a fruitful festival career, with the movie being festooned with awards. Nightlife [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Damjan Kozole
film profile] (2016) earned the filmmaker the Best Director Award at Karlovy Vary. Kozole’s latest movie before this one was the IFFR-premiered creative documentary Pero [+see also:
film review
film profile] (2023), with which he portrayed the life and work of his “house actor”, Peter Musevski, who suffered from depression and ultimately took his own life.

The biggest roles in Twenty Meters are played by Sarajevo-based actress Maja Izetbegović (recently glimpsed in Una Gunjak’s Excursion [+see also:
film review
interview: Una Gunjak
film profile]), Croatian star Goran Bogdan (fairly active all over the region of the former Yugoslavia recently), and newcomers Kim Radovac and Ajda Opara. Actors Sašo Tabaković, Nina Valič and Valter Dragan and the numerous citizens of Piran also appear in smaller roles.

The script was written by the filmmaker himself and his regular collaborator, Ognjen Sviličić. Crew-wise, Domen Martinčič serves as the cinematographer, Neža Zinajić as the production designer, Sabina Buždon designed the costumes, and Mojca Gorogranc Petrushevska handles the make-up. The film will be edited by Matic Drakučić, while Igor Popovski and Julij Zornik handle the sound design.

Danijel Hočevar (representing Slovenian company Vertigo) serves as the producer. Twenty Meters is being staged as a co-production between Vertigo, RTV Slovenia, Baš Čelik (Serbia), Terminal 3 (Croatia), Kino Oko (North Macedonia) and Pro.Ba (Bosnia and Herzegovina). It was supported financially by the Slovenian Film Centre, Film Center Serbia and Creative Europe – MEDIA.