14/12/2023 - The coming-of-age drama is set in a fictional industrial town, and deals with the topics of gender, immigration and pressures stemming from social norms

Actors Mia Skrbinac, Sarah Al Saleh and Mina Milovanović on the set of Fantasy (© Katja Goljat)

On Saturday 9 December, the principal-photography phase of production for the feature debut by Kukla, titled Fantasy, wrapped in Ljubljana. Apart from 20 shooting days in the capital of Slovenia, filming also took place in Trieste, Italy, and Kruševo, North Macedonia.

Kukla (also known as Kukla Kesherović or Katarina Rešek) has made a name for herself directing music videos for different pop stars from the region of the former Yugoslavia, while her previous short film Sisters enjoyed some fruitful festival exposure, scooping the Grand Prix at Clermont-Ferrand in the process. For Fantasy, she has reunited with the three actresses from her previous effort, Mia Skrbinac, Mina Milovanović and Sarah Al Saleh, who reprise the roles of Jasna, Sina and Mihirje, respectively, while the title role was entrusted to newcomer Alina Juhart.

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Fantasy is envisioned as a coming-of-age drama that deals with the treatment of young women by society and the expectations it imposes on them. The plot is set in an imaginary Slovenian industrial town, where three best friends reside. A chance encounter with a young woman named Fantasy, who is going through a gender transition, will change their lives for the better. The secondary topic of the movie is the milieu of immigrants, characterised by the paradox between apparent assimilation, and the pressures of tradition and the drive for uniformity.

“This film is dedicated to all those who have hidden their true identities, spirits and loves from the terror and violence of ‘normative’ society. Light seeps through the cracks and illuminates the wounds. With love, for love!” stated Kukla.

The helmer also wrote the script for the film. Lazar Bogdanović, who also hails from a music-video background, handled the cinematography (Fantasy is also the first fiction film he has lensed). Maja Šavc and Mihail Panev handled the production design, while Damir Raković designed the costumes, and Tinka Prpar dealt with the make-up. The feature will be edited by Lukas Miheljak.

Fantasy is a co-production between Slovenia and North Macedonia. It is being produced by Lija Pogačnik and Vlado Bulajić for December, in co-production with Krug Film (Dejan Krajčevski). It was supported by the Slovenian Film Centre, the North Macedonia Film Agency and Radio-Television Slovenia, and it also received funds from Creative Europe – MEDIA at the development stage.