Chennai International Film Festival

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Vzornik/ Role Model

Slovenia | 2023 | 1h 38m | Slovene

Maja (45), a psychologist, and her son Jan (14), live in a small town after Maja’s recent divorce. Jan, struggling with loneliness and bullying at school, is also dealing with the impact of his parents’ separation. Amidst strict anti-epidemic measures in 2020, Jan befriends Jakob, a troubled student recovering from a suicide attempt, who is part of a gang that terrorizes Jan. To survive, Jan must shed his “sunshine” nickname given by bullies. Meanwhile, Maja, overwhelmed by her pressures and a new, competitive colleague, Neja, begins to drink again, adding to her sense of loss.

Director
Image description
Nejc Gazvoda is a prominent writer and filmmaker. As a high school student, he published a short fiction collection Nothing Escapes the Squirrels, which earned him prestigious awards such as the Fabula 2006 and the Golden Bird 2005. Gazvoda has authored three novels, which were shortlisted for the Kresnik Award, Slovenia’s highest honor for best novel. He also directed the award-winning student films Burgundy Red (2007) and Caretaker (2008). His feature debut, A Trip, was premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2011 and screened at major festivals such as Cannes, Warsaw, and Filmfest Hamburg. He is currently working on his second feature, Dual.
Cast & Crew

Director – Nejc Gazvod

Cinematography – Jan Suster

Editor – Andrej Avanzo

Music – Janja Loncar

Producer – Ales Pavlin, Andrej Stritof

Cast – Mojca Funkl, France Mandic, Jure Henigman, Marina Redzepovic, Vesna Pernarcic, Klara Kuk