Touching at a Distance

The documentary short films that brought Bezinović considerable attention in the Croatian and regional film scene in the past decade are characterized primarily by their skilful depiction of social issues through the cases of remarkable individuals and by their emphasis on the director’s apparent remoteness. Due to Bezinović mostly not being heard or seen in his films, one can get an impression of a relatively non-invasive, almost coincidental documentary recording, but the stories of his characters quickly reveal his great engagement in information gathering and his talent for luring coherent, elaborate descriptions out of his eccentric, unpredictable characters. In this regard, Veruda: A Film About Bojan (Veruda: Film o Bojanu, 2015) stands out as his most accomplished short film and at the same time signals his move away from his relatively minimalistic, cinéma vérité beginnings, thereby establishing a stronger connection with his recent fiction films.

The integral version of this article can be found in the printed KINO!