For Serbian filmmaker Mila Turajlic, a locked door in her mother’s apartment in Belgrade provides the gateway to both her remarkable family history and her country’s tumultuous political inheritance.

A door that stayed closed for over 70 years in a family’s apartment in Belgrade becomes the starting point for a fantastic family, political and historic chronicle. The family is that of the director, embodied by her mother, the charismatic Srbijanka Turajlić, a former university professor and significant figure in the opposition to the regime of the 1990s. Through the two women’s conversations, which are simultaneously profound and funny, we roam through the eventful history of a country, its upheavals and political changes. It is often a question of civic commitment and the responsibilities borne by each generation — those of the protagonists but also those of the audience. Thanks to the generosity of the account, we plunge into a passionate fresco in which the director, like a skilful cinematographical seamstress, successfully stitches together the personal and the political and, indirectly, her story and history. In this voyage through epochs and ideals, this closed door reveals itself to be a magnificent pretext to explore this human adventure.

Premiere: Festival International du Film de La Rochelle

IDFA 2017, Netherlands | Best Feature-Length Documentary
Doc NYC 2017, New York (États-Unis) | Sélection officielle
MILLENNIUM FILM FESTIVAL 2018, Belgium | Objectif d’or / Winner of International Competition
ZAGREBDOX 2018, Croatia | Fipresci Jury Award
ZAGREBDOX 2018, Croatia | HT Audience Award
ZAGREBDOX 2018, Croatia | Golden Stamp for Best Film in Regional Competition
SEEfest LA 2018, USA | Special Jury Mention
SEEfest LA 2018, USA | Best Cinematography in a Documentary Film
FIPRESCI Serbia 2017, Serbia | Best Serbian Documentary
International Human Rights & Documentary Festival One World Romania 2018, Romania | One World Romania 11 Award
SALEM FILM FEST 2018, USA | Special Jury Award
SALEM FILM FEST 2018, USA | Editing Award
BELGRADE DOCUMENTARY AND SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2018, Serbia | Best Editing Award
BELGRADE DOCUMENTARY AND SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2018, Serbia | Best Sound Design Award
RIVER RUN FILM FESTIVAL 2018, USA | Best Director Award
GOEAST – FESTIVAL OF CENTRAL AND EAST EUROPEAN FILM 2018, Germany | Award of the Federal Foreign Office for Cultural Diversity
BALKAN FLORENCE EXPRESS 2018, Italy | Balkan Florence Bridges Award
FESTIVAL CINEMATOGRÁFICO INTERNACIONAL DEL URUGUAY 2018, Uruguay | Best Documentary – Human Rights Cinema Competition
IF ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 2018, Turkey | Special Mention
FIFDH International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights 2018, Switzerland | Special Mention
TRT International Documentary Days 2018, Turkey | Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture & Tourism Special Prize
Etats généraux du film documentaire 2018, France | Lussas
DOK.FEST Internationales Dokumentarfilmfestival München 2018, Germany | Sélection officielle
Al Este Film Festival 2018, Peru | Best Documentary (Jury Prize)
Mediterranean Film Festival 2018, Bosnia & Herzegovina | Grand Prix
Festival International du Film de La Rochelle 2018, France | Première française
Festival International du Film de Nancy 2018, France | Sélection officielle
Beyond the Borders Documentary Festival, Greece 2018, Greece | Best Socio-political Documentary
Fibula 2018, Croatia | Best Documentary
CinEast 2018, Luxembourg | Audience Award