Excursion

Original title: Ekskurzija
Genre: Drama
Director: Una Gunjak
Country: Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, France, Qatar, Norway, Serbia
Year of production: 2023
Czas: 93 min

Awards and nominations:
2023 Locarno Film Festival: Special Mention – Filmmakers of the Present
2023 Marrakech International Film Festival: Best Actress – Asja Zara Lagumdžija
2024 Sarajevo Film Festival: Ivica Matić Award

Meet Iman, a 15-year-old girl her peers see as withdrawn and not fitting well with her surroundings. She gets a chance to change that during a game of truth or dare. Rumour spreads that Iman, as the first one in the class, has already had sex. And it was with an older boy, Damir. In the beginning, the disoriented girl confirms it because she discovers that it was Damir himself, an object of her affection, who started the gossip. However, the girl soon learns about fatal consequences of lying when her participation in the titular excursion is brought into question. Moreover, both her colleagues, teachers, and family change the attitude towards her. Willing to defend her status, Iman complicates her situation even more when she makes up further details of her intimate relationship. Director Una Gunjak expertly guides viewers through the story, portraying miscellaneous characters and teenage disorientation. She creates a film that’s addressed both to young people, who perfectly understand what need for attention and making reckless decisions are, and their adult caretakers. Cinematography depicting the characters’ emotions is also a plus.

Author: Anna Stawowska

Director:
Una Gunjak – a director, screenwriter, and editor, born in Sarajevo in 1986. She graduated from the National Film and Television School in the UK and studied film studies in Italy. She’s an author of documentaries and short films, including “The Chicken” which was presented at many festivals around the world. “Excursion” is her feature directorial debut.

   subtitles in Polish and English