When Father Was Away on Business (1985)

Original title

Otac na službenom putu

Directed by

Emir Kusturica

Genre

comedy drama, coming-of-age film

Country

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Runtime

2h 16m

Rated

18

Rating

7.3 of 10 from 150 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A young boy named Malik grows up in 1950s Yugoslavia after his father is sent to a labor camp. The story follows his everyday life and family struggles during this political period.

playfulmelancholicobservantbittersweetwarmslow-pacedpoliticalnostalgic

What happens

When Father Was Away on Business (Serbo-Croatian: Otac na službenom putu, Отац на службеном путу) is a 1985 Yugoslav film by director Emir Kusturica. The screenplay was written by the dramatist Abdulah Sidran. Its subtitle is A Historical Love Film and it was produced by Centar Film and Forum, production companies based in Sarajevo. Set in post-World War II Yugoslavia during the Informbiro period, the film tells the story from the perspective of a boy, Malik, whose father Meša (Miki Manojlović) was sent to a labour camp. When Father Was Away on Business won the Palme d'Or at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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