After the success of the short Into The Blue, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović makes her debut with the full length feature Murina.

The Synopsis 

On a remote island along Croatia’s Adriatic coast, 17-year-old Julija spends her days diving for eel with her domineering father Ante (Leon Lucev) and watching other teens party on a nearby yacht. Julija bristles at Ante’s heavy handed cruelty and resents her mother Nela’s passivity. She longs for independence but is unsure how to achieve it, until the arrival of the (Danica Curcic) rich and mysterious Javier (Cliff Curtis) seems to offer a way out. Javier is considering buying Ante’s land to build a resort, which would allow the family to escape their island isolation for the city. Once Ante’s employer and Nela’s lover, Javier flirts shamelessly with Nela and Julija, setting off a subtle battle of hypermasculine one-upmanship that pushes Ante to humiliate and control Julija even more. Flattered by Javier’s praise and stories of traveling the world, Julija sees him as the solution to all her problems. But does his affection portend freedom, or something more sinister? 

The Croatian writer and director has a Master of Arts from Columbia University. She gained experience making several short films like Nonina and The Last Day of Charley E. Rays. But  it  was Into The Blue that gave her international recognition, winning awards at several film  festivals including the Berlin International Film Festival. Currently she is a member of the Academy of The Motion Picture, Arts and Oscars. 

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I have the opportunity to speak to Kino Lorber about the making of Murina. She discussed the challenges of filming in water and underwater. Kusijanović had interesting feedback about the writing of the film and if she considered a different ending. In addition to having a full international cast.  

MURINA will open theatrically at Metrograph in New York on Friday, July 8th, and at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles on Friday, July 15th with rollout to select cities.

Source: LRMExclusive, Kino Lorber