Circles

Institute History

Description

Circles unfolds as a triptych, exploring the moral convolutions and complex story strands that emerge from one fateful moment.

Marco, a Serbian soldier on leave during the war, returns to his Bosnian hometown. When three fellow soldiers accost Haris, a Muslim shopkeeper, Marco intervenes, but it costs him his life. Twelve years later the war is over, but the wounds remain open. Marco’s father is rebuilding a church when Bogdan, the son of one of Marco’s killers, appears looking for work. Meanwhile in Belgrade, Marco's friend Nabobs, a renowned surgeon, debates whether or not to operate on another of Marco’s killers. And in Germany, Haris—now married with a family—strives to repay his debt when Marco’s widow arrives seeking refuge.

With its gorgeous cinematography and simmering tension, Srdan Golubovic’s third feature (The Trap, 2007, garnered great acclaim) employs a multifaceted, yet simple, structure that contemplates revenge, redemption, and reconciliation. Aware of how easily hatred and violence can create life-shattering ripples, Golubovic looks at the consequences of moral courage, asking whether a heroic act can generate ripples of another kind.

— J. N.

Screening Details

Sundance Film Festival Awards

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