Deep down in the blue. A morning errand dive for teenager Juljia (Gracija Filipović) and her father Ante (Leon Lučev). The type of father whose moods cloud and control the household. Underneath the water, he can’t say anything, demean and insult. They both carry spearguns to catch eels. Underwater is also where Julijia finds escape and relief; she’s a skilled swimmer with a drive to go further, particularly if it’s away from her father. Outside the water, the stone house is on a clifftop. The landscape is white pebbled, dry and a little bit barren. An almost mythical, ancient setting for what is a lived-in coming-of-age story. The cataylst is the visit of a charming man Javier (played by the ever-reliable, handsome Cliff Curtis), an old shipmate of the father, now a wealthy magnate. Ante wants to sell his land to him as a possible tourist site, and Juljia finds this old friend of the family to be a welcome alternative father figure as well as a developing crush, particularly once she finds out about his history with her mother, Nela (Danica Ćurčić) before she was married.
Murina (2021) is told from Juljia’s perspective and Filipović is really great in the lead performance, the camera observing her quiet observations and reactions to her domineering father. Eventually finding her own voice amongst the daydreams, hopes and frustrations. A scenic location and an intimate drama within the family’s reactions to the welcomed interloper. A film of simmering tension, and great underwater photography by cinematographer Hélène Louvart and her crew. Feature film debut of Croatian filmmaker Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović. Thank you to Claudia for recommending it to me, and now I recommend it to you. Available to stream on SBS On Demand.
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