“Balcanica” Holds Strong in Its Second Week: Nicola Sorcinelli’s Film Continues to Captivate Audiences

Following its extraordinary reception and standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival—where it garnered numerous accolades, including the Audience Award at Venice’s Giornate degli Autori and the prestigious Carlo Lizzani Award—Balcanica is winning over Italian audiences and proudly entering its second week in cinemas.

A significant milestone for a powerful and courageous Italian film, directed by Nicola Sorcinelli and championed by distributor Fandango. Word of mouth is proving to be the film’s winning force, demonstrating that emotionally charged auteur cinema with a strong social conscience can still draw audiences into cinemas and bring them together in the darkness of the theatre.

Featuring extraordinary performances from an exceptional cast led by Matilda De Angelis, Babak Karimi and Ivar Wafaei, Balcanica tells a visceral, deeply human story. At its heart is the unexpected encounter, along the Balkan route, between two Afghan refugees and an Italian doctor—a transformative journey capable of touching the viewer’s deepest emotions.

The enthusiasm of the first week has thus become a strong confirmation for the film’s second weekend in cinemas. Many theatres across Italy have chosen to renew and expand the film’s presence in their programmes, responding to sustained demand from an increasingly engaged audience.

“To see such an intense Italian film remain in cinemas and reach an ever-growing audience week after week is proof that great cinema can still make a difference”, reads one of the many enthusiastic comments and reviews shared by viewers as they leave the theatre.

If you haven’t seen it yet, Balcanica is still screening in cinemas this week: an unmissable big-screen experience that will move you and make you think.

Where you can still catch Balcanica.

Balcanica is a production by Nightswim and Wildside (a Fremantle Italia company), in co-production with This and That and Antitalent, in association with M74 Post and Nieminen film.

The film was produced with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture (MIC) and the Film Center Serbia.