mirage/iluzija
Tortured by a tumultuous home life and school bullies, young Marko finds hope when his teacher encourages him to enter a poetry competition in Paris. But when the teacher cowers before the same bullies and eventually dashes the boy’s hopes and dreams, Marko seeks guidance from another role model: a mercenary who tells him in life one must “either eat or be eaten.”
Macedonia / 103 min. / Macedonian with English and Spanish subtitles / 1:1.85 flat / Dolby Digital 5.1
reviews
“Raw! Visceral! Highly original! With his haunting gaze and enigmatic presence, (Marko Kovacevic) is a marvelous young actor who essays his point with an uncommon grace and power." Phil Hall, FILM THREAT
“Starkly beautiful! A tense, gripping drama."Ken Fox, TV GUIDE MOVIE GUIDE
“A triumph! A film of uncharacteristic beauty graced by the talent of a young boy with a bright future!! This certainly is one of the best films the tiny Republic of Macedonia has ever created! Highly Recommended! I am overwhelmed by the sheer power of this film!”Svet Atanasov, DVD TALK
“This is one of those films that is disturbing in the best sense of the word: it makes us think beyond our safe borders and contemplate the plight of the oppressed, both children and adults, in a country torn by recurring violence. In Macedonian and Bosnian with English subtitles. Recommended.”
Grady Harp, AMAZON.COM
“MIRAGE makes a powerful statement in an artful way. A memorably haunting journey!" Eric Monder, FILM JOURNAL
“Beautiful photography and a stunning performance by young angelic actor Marko Kovacevic makes the movie not only worth watching, but an emotionally rich viewing experience that you won’t soon forget! Well worth watching!"Howie Green, EDGE BOSTON
“Wicked!" Peter L'Official, VILLAGE VOICE
“The social situation at the heart of MIRAGE is so fraught with political implication that the film hits on both levels." Donald J. Levit, REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS
“A highly original and insightful film! Ristovski casts a harsh, complicated glance at his beautifully drawn characters and unvarnished cinematography." Zachary Jones, FILM-FORWARD.com
“Exposing the extreme poverty, political unrest and lawlessness of his homeland without being overly preachy, skilled writer-director Svetozar Ristovski suceeds. Mirage is as good as foreign coming-of-age dramas get!" Brandon Voss, HX MAGAZINE
“Macedonia's newest cinematic voice, Svetozar Ristovski, delivers a bold and powerful denunciation of a society." VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
“A triumph! A marvel! A remarkable performance from young Macedonian newcomer Marko Kovacevic.”Eddie Cockrell, VARIETY
“Marko Kovacevic gives a terrific performance!" Avi Offer, THE NYC MOVIE GURU
“An emotionally potent, deeply involving story by a talented new director!" WOLF ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE
awards
BEST FEATURE FILM - Anchorage International Film Festival
LIONS AWARD – Rotterdam
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, SPECIAL MENTION BEST ACTOR, SPECIAL MENTION BEST DIRECTOR – AVANCA
BEST EUROPEAN DEBUT – Zlin
SPECIAL JURY MENTION - Tokyo
AUDIENCE AWARD, SPECIAL MENTION JURY, SPECIAL MENTION FRENCH DISTRIBUTORS - Mamers en Mars
festivals
2004 Toronto Film Festival
2004 Tokyo Film Festival
2004 Thessaloniki Film Festival
2004 Montreal Festival of New Cinema
2004 Vancouver Film Festival
2005 Rotterdam International Film Festival
2005 South by Southwest film Festival
2005 Febio (Prague) Film Festival
2005 Zlin International Film Festival for Children and Youth
2005 Salerno Film Festival
2005 LOUIS VUITTON Hawaii International Film Festival
2005 Anchorage International Film Festival
2005 Belgrade International Film Festival
2005 Sofia International Film Festival
2005 Stockholm International Film Festival Junior
2005 Singapore International Film Festival
2006 AVANCA International Film Festival
2007 Mamers en Mars Film Festival
North American release by Picture This! Entertainment. World release by EastWest Film Distribution GmBH.
Tortured by a tumultuous home life and school bullies, young Marko finds hope when his teacher encourages him to enter a poetry competition in Paris. But when the teacher cowers before the same bullies and eventually dashes the boy’s hopes and dreams, Marko seeks guidance from another role model: a mercenary who tells him in life one must “either eat or be eaten.”
Macedonia / 103 min. / Macedonian with English and Spanish subtitles / 1:1.85 flat / Dolby Digital 5.1
reviews
“Raw! Visceral! Highly original! With his haunting gaze and enigmatic presence, (Marko Kovacevic) is a marvelous young actor who essays his point with an uncommon grace and power." Phil Hall, FILM THREAT
“Starkly beautiful! A tense, gripping drama."Ken Fox, TV GUIDE MOVIE GUIDE
“A triumph! A film of uncharacteristic beauty graced by the talent of a young boy with a bright future!! This certainly is one of the best films the tiny Republic of Macedonia has ever created! Highly Recommended! I am overwhelmed by the sheer power of this film!”Svet Atanasov, DVD TALK
“This is one of those films that is disturbing in the best sense of the word: it makes us think beyond our safe borders and contemplate the plight of the oppressed, both children and adults, in a country torn by recurring violence. In Macedonian and Bosnian with English subtitles. Recommended.”
Grady Harp, AMAZON.COM
“MIRAGE makes a powerful statement in an artful way. A memorably haunting journey!" Eric Monder, FILM JOURNAL
“Beautiful photography and a stunning performance by young angelic actor Marko Kovacevic makes the movie not only worth watching, but an emotionally rich viewing experience that you won’t soon forget! Well worth watching!"Howie Green, EDGE BOSTON
“Wicked!" Peter L'Official, VILLAGE VOICE
“The social situation at the heart of MIRAGE is so fraught with political implication that the film hits on both levels." Donald J. Levit, REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS
“A highly original and insightful film! Ristovski casts a harsh, complicated glance at his beautifully drawn characters and unvarnished cinematography." Zachary Jones, FILM-FORWARD.com
“Exposing the extreme poverty, political unrest and lawlessness of his homeland without being overly preachy, skilled writer-director Svetozar Ristovski suceeds. Mirage is as good as foreign coming-of-age dramas get!" Brandon Voss, HX MAGAZINE
“Macedonia's newest cinematic voice, Svetozar Ristovski, delivers a bold and powerful denunciation of a society." VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
“A triumph! A marvel! A remarkable performance from young Macedonian newcomer Marko Kovacevic.”Eddie Cockrell, VARIETY
“Marko Kovacevic gives a terrific performance!" Avi Offer, THE NYC MOVIE GURU
“An emotionally potent, deeply involving story by a talented new director!" WOLF ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE
awards
BEST FEATURE FILM - Anchorage International Film Festival
LIONS AWARD – Rotterdam
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, SPECIAL MENTION BEST ACTOR, SPECIAL MENTION BEST DIRECTOR – AVANCA
BEST EUROPEAN DEBUT – Zlin
SPECIAL JURY MENTION - Tokyo
AUDIENCE AWARD, SPECIAL MENTION JURY, SPECIAL MENTION FRENCH DISTRIBUTORS - Mamers en Mars
festivals
2004 Toronto Film Festival
2004 Tokyo Film Festival
2004 Thessaloniki Film Festival
2004 Montreal Festival of New Cinema
2004 Vancouver Film Festival
2005 Rotterdam International Film Festival
2005 South by Southwest film Festival
2005 Febio (Prague) Film Festival
2005 Zlin International Film Festival for Children and Youth
2005 Salerno Film Festival
2005 LOUIS VUITTON Hawaii International Film Festival
2005 Anchorage International Film Festival
2005 Belgrade International Film Festival
2005 Sofia International Film Festival
2005 Stockholm International Film Festival Junior
2005 Singapore International Film Festival
2006 AVANCA International Film Festival
2007 Mamers en Mars Film Festival
North American release by Picture This! Entertainment. World release by EastWest Film Distribution GmBH.
