Nightswim at the 78th Locarno Film Festival: two films in the International Competition

God Will Not Help by Hana Jušić and Sorella di clausura by Ivana Mladenović will have their world premieres at the Swiss festival.

A still from Ivana Mladenović's Sorella di Clausura 

The 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival will take place from August 6 to 16, showcasing films from all over the world.

This year, Nightswim is proud to be present with two co-productions that are particularly close to our hearts:

God Will Not Help (La Terra del Fuoco) by Hana Jušić, the director’s second feature film. Jušić, who made her debut at the Venice Film Festival in 2019 with Quit Staring at My Plate, returns with a story set at the beginning of the 20th century. The film follows Teresa, a Chilean woman who arrives in an isolated, tightly structured Croatian shepherd community, claiming to be the widow of their brother who emigrated years before. Her unexpected presence unsettles the community’s fragile balance, sparking unease but also introducing an unforeseen sense of freedom.

Teresa is played by Chilean actress Manuela Martelli (The Future), returning to the big screen after five years. The film is a co-production between Croatia, Italy, France, Romania, Slovenia, and Greece, led by Ankica Jurić Tilić for Kinorama. Co-producers include Ada Solomon and Diana Caravia for MicroFILM; Ines Vasiljević and Stefano Sardo for Nightswim; Didar Domehri for Maneki Films; Yorgos Tsourgiannis for Horsefly Films; and Aleš Pavlin and Andrej Štritof for Perfo Production.

Hana Jušić's God Will not help in competition at Locarno Film Festival

Also in selection is Sorella di clausura (Il sogno più lungo), the third feature by Serbian director Ivana Mladenović, a familiar face at Locarno where her Ivana the Terrible won the Jury Prize.

Inspired by true events and real characters, the film follows Stela, a 36-year-old educated woman who struggles to keep a job. Since the age of 12, she has been in love with a famous Serbian musician from the former Yugoslavia. One of his alleged former lovers, Vera, promises to help Stela meet her idol.

The cast includes Katia Pascariu (Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn), Cendana Trifan (Libertate, Interior Zero), and Miodrag Mladenović (Ivana the Terrible).

The film is a co-production between Romania, Serbia, Italy, and Spain. Produced by Ada Solomon for Microfilm, with co-producers Ivana Mladenović for Dunav 84, Ines Vasiljević and Stefano Sardo for Nightswim, and Bernat Manzano for Boogaloo Films.

Both films were made with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC).