As Far as I Can Walk (also known as Strahinja Banović or Strahinja) is a 2021 internationally co-produced drama film directed by Stefan Arsenijević and written by Arsenijević, Bojan Vuletić and Nicolas Ducray. It is a modern reimagining of Strahinja Banović, a hero of medieval Serbian epic poetry, that follows a young Ghanaian couple living as refugees in Belgrade. It premiered at the 55th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it won five awards.
| As Far as I Can Walk | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Stefan Arsenijević |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Jelena Stankovic |
| Edited by | Vanja Kovačević |
| Music by | Martynas Bialobžeskis |
Production companies |
|
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Languages |
|
Plot
editStrahinja and his wife Ababuo left Ghana and reached Germany at the beginning of the refugee crisis, but then they were returned to Belgrade. Serbia may not be Germany, but Strahinya is doing his best to start a new life. He gave himself this Serbian name to better fit into his new surroundings.
They live in a refugee camp in Krnjača, and Strahinja works hard to get asylum, tries his hand at playing football for a local club and works as a volunteer for the Red Cross. One day, a new wave of refugees from Syria arrives in Krnjača, among them the charismatic Ali.
Cast
edit- Ibrahim Koma as Strahinja, an aspiring footballer
- Nancy Mensah-Offei as Ababuo, an aspiring actress[1]
- Maxim Khalil as Ali
- Rami Farah as Dervish
Production
editThe film was produced by Miroslav Mogorovich of Serbia's Art & Popcorn, Alice Ormieres of France's Surprise Valley, Gilles Chanial of Luxembourg's Les Films Fauves, Borislav Chouchkov of Bulgaria's Chouchkov Brothers, and Kestutis Drazdauskas of Lithuania's Artbox. The project received support from Eurimages, Film Center Serbia, the Serbian Film Incentive, Film Fund Luxembourg, the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Lithuanian Film Centre, the CNC's Aide aux cinémas du monde, and the European Union's Creative Europe MEDIA.[2]
Principal photography took place on location in Belgrade in 2020.
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Karlovy Vary International Film Festival | Crystal Globe Grand Prix | As Far as I Can Walk | Won | |
| Special Jury Mention | Jelena Stankovic[a] | Won | |||
| Jury Award | As Far as I Can Walk | Won | |||
| Europa Cinemas Label Award | Won | ||||
| Best Actor | Ibrahim Koma | Won | [3] | ||
| Cairo International Film Festival | European Film | As Far as I Can Walk | Nominated | ||
| KineNova Film Festival | Best Director | Stefan Arsenijević | Won | [4] |
Notes
edit- ^ Shared with The Staffroom and Vinette Robinson.
References
edit- ^ Lodge, Guy (28 August 2021). "'As Far As I Can Walk' Review: A Ghanaian Refugee Couple's Paths Diverge in a Moving Serbian Drama". Variety. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (22 December 2020). "Stefan Arsenijević's As Far as I Can Walk currently in post-production". Cineuropa. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ Tizard, Will (28 August 2021). "'As Far as I Can Walk' Takes Top Prize at Karlovy Vary Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ Lazarevska, Marina (2 November 2021). "FESTIVALS: The Other Side of the River Wins KineNova Film Festival 2021". FNE. Retrieved 27 November 2021.