A 15-year-old Yuruk boy from a remote Macedonian village escapes into music amidst parental expectations, societal conservatism and forbidden love for a promised girl.
Ahmet (Arif Jakup) laboriously herds sheep while caring for his little brother Naim (Agush Agushev), the picture of adorableness, who hasn’t spoken since their mother died. One evening while tending to the flock, Ahmet discovers a secret dance party, an event that rekindles a love for music that was passed down by his mother. It is there that he first catches a glimpse of Aya (Dora Akan Zlatnova), a young girl only in the village to enter into an arranged marriage. This delightful and beguilingly sharp film playfully critiques certain Muslim customs, but never in a demeaning way, and with an unforgettable ensemble, laugh-out-loud comedy moments and heartbreaking drama, this story of a teenage boy defying his traditional community feels like a revelation. (Subtitles)
North Macedonia 2025 Georgi M. Unkovski 99m
