RIFT IN THE ICE

Maja Miloš

SYNOPSIS

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Marija is an ice skater who lives with her truck-driver father on the outskirts of Belgrade. Overwhelmed by the grief of losing her mother three years earlier, Marija is unable to express her passionate sexuality without feeling unworthy.

When her father begins a relationship and moves in with the woman and her two daughters, Marija supports him, but soon realises that she cannot trust her new stepmother. Financial difficulties force Marija to earn extra money for the family. Wanting to protect her father, she hides her work from him—a job that draws her into a world where women are sexually exploited, placing even greater pressure on her repressed sexuality.

She can no longer confide in her father. Her stepmother’s outbursts of anger escalate into physical violence, forcing Marija to give up skating. She feels trapped. The love of one of the city’s most sought-after young businessmen will give her the strength to accept herself and her sexuality.

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DIRECTOR'S NOTES

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Rift In The Ice explores women’s integrity in a materialistic world marked by aggression, ruthless ambition and fierce competition. Focusing on the protagonist’s emotions, the film follows her intimate journey towards self-acceptance, exposing the degradation and exploitation of women across different social strata.

It is an authentic and raw work that captures real life without moralising or passing judgment. The poetic and brutal scenes emerging from the protagonist’s subconscious—revealing her deepest fears and repressed sexuality—give the film the atmosphere of a dark fairy tale. In contrast with the authenticity of the rest of the narrative, they offer a profound immersion into the protagonist’s psyche and a new perception of reality.

Above all, the film explores love in a hostile environment and reveals its power to help us discover and accept ourselves.

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