You Carry Me" is actually a really untypical movie for a country like Croatia. Still burdened by the war which happened over 20 years ago,and today burdened by hard economic status which is not getting any better, Croats and Croatian cinematography, unfortunately, centers their themes around this widely known situations. And what is yet to be discovered is why Croatian cinematographers hesitate to explore less familiar grounds.
Ivona Juka is obviously not that kind of a filmmaker. Although she has admitted the story has some biographical elements, Juka's You Carry Me" is nothing like the movies to which Croatian audience is used to. Powerful female characters dominate this three-way-divided story, presented in a non-traditional roles, which is rarely seen in such conservative society. Well written and smartly directed, You Carry Me" will carry you to the new era of Croatian filmmaking. Made in co-production with Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro,it was expected Juka would search for actors outside the domesticborders. Fortunately, Vojislav Brajović was selected for the role, a Serbian actor who has probably won all the prizes there were to win in former Yugoslavia. Hence, my favorite story of all three is the first one, about demented father, whose daughter Ives (Lana Barić) is trying to cope with his illness.
But don't underestimate the power of the second story. Helena Beljan's debut role (Dora), for which she was awarded a prize in Pula Film Festival, is refreshing, and in great balance with acting of her outlawed father Vedran (Goran Hajduković), who also happens to be a first time actor. The idea of a little girl whose role model is a controversial football manager Zdravko Mamić (currently under investigation in Croatia), is so superb, and well executed.
And while watching the first two stories, I was wondering what's happening in the third one, and how can it possibly be better than the first two? And to be honest, I was hesitating in the beginning. The story of Nataa didn't seem special in any way, she was being cheated on, and she was trying to cope with it. But by the end of the third story (and the whole film), everything made sense. I won't reveal any more details, I'll let the viewers see for themselves why the third story was put right in the end, and why the exact title of the movie is You Carry Me". The tag line of the movie is No treason, no surrender".
So I'm inviting everyone not to surrender and not to lose hope in Croatian filmmaking. Just like all the characters in the movie, and every single person on this planet, Juka is trying to find her place under the sun. And she is doing it right – by doing what she probably loves the most – enriching our nation's seventh art"
