CROATIAN FILM
SANDBAG DAM
DIRECTOR: Čejen Černić Čanak
COUNTRY: Croatia, Lithuania, Slovenia
YEAR/DURATION: 2025. • 88′
drama
Info
- SCREENPLAY: Tomislav Zajec
- CINEMATOGRAPHY: Marko Brdar
- EDITOR: Slaven Zečević
- PRODUCTION DESIGN: Tajana Čanić Stanković
- COSTUME DESIGN: Selena Orb
- SOUND: Julij Zornik
- SCORE: Domas Strupinskas
- MAKE UP: Matea Katunar
- SPECIAL EFFECTS: Petar Novaković
- LEAD ACTRESS: Tanja Smoje
- LEAD ACTOR: Lav Novosel
- SUPPORTING ACTRESSES: Franka Mikolaci, Alma Prica, Rada Mrkšić, Marica Vidušić Vrdoljak, Margarita Belan, Lana Hranjec, Ana Ugrina, Katja Galunić, Dubravka Kos
- SUPPORTING ACTORS: Andrija Žunac, Leon Grgić, Filip Šovagović, Luka Baškarad, Pan Jelić, Gregor Birkić, Dino Nikolić, Andrej Švaco, Ivan Grčić, Alan Katić, Mario Knezović, Darko Polovanić, Matej Čatarić, Kristian Bonačić, Goran Gorički, Krešimir Brezovec
- DEBUTANT: Leon Grgić
- PRODUCERS: Ankica Jurić Tilić, Hrvoje Pervan, Dragan Jurić
- PRODUCTION COMPANY: Kinorama
- CO-PRODUCED BY: Tremora (Lithuania), Perfo (Slovenia)
- DISTRIBUTION: Duplicato Media
- SALES AGENT: The Open Reel
Festivals and awards
Berlin International Film Festival – Berlinale 2025 – Program Generation, world premiere
Stockholm International Film Festival Junior 2025
Istanbul Film Festival 2025
Crossing Europe Film Festival 2025 – YAAAS! competition
Synopsis
As a rising river threatens to flood his village, high school senior Marko’s seemingly stable life is disrupted by the return of Slaven, his former childhood friend and forbidden first love. Marko lives with his parents and younger brother Fićo, a boy with Down syndrome to whom he is deeply devoted. As the looming flood draws closer, so does the emotional turmoil within him. While the villagers work tirelessly to build sandbag walls around their homes, Marko is building a wall of his own—one meant to keep his emotions at bay. Yet, like water, feelings have a way of breaking through…
Trailer
About the director
Čejen Černić Čanak (Osijek, 1982) graduated in film and TV directing from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. She directed a number of short films, among which the most prominent ones are the short film Pratioci and the short documentary films Krug, Meni bez mene, and Il Postino. In 2017, she directed her first feature film The Mystery of Green Hill, based on Ivan Kušan’s novel of the same name, and received the Breza Award for Best Debutant at Pula Film Festival. Sandbag Dam, written by Tomislav Zajec, is her second feature film.
Screening
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- ARENA – MONDAY 14.7.2025.
21:15
- ARENA – MONDAY 14.7.2025.
-
- INK – TUESDAY 15.7.2025.
14:15
- INK – TUESDAY 15.7.2025.
FREE ENTRANCE
