Pjer Žalica: Last News

Alissa Simon Film CriticThe micro-budget feature “Focus, Grandma” from Bosnian helmer-writer Pjer Žalica is a black comedy set in Sarajevo during the spring of 1992, when members of a dysfunctional family are summoned to the bed of their dying matriarch. As the siblings and their spouses arrive from far-flung parts of Yugoslavia, their squabbles and meanderings down memory lane, as well as machinations over the anticipated inheritance, distract them from the bigger picture of what is happening to their country.Although the storyline feels a tad familiar and the humor is less sharp than in Žalica’s debut “Fuse,” there is considerable pleasure in watching the talented players in the ensemble.

Christopher Vourlias Bosnian director Pjer Žalica recently found himself standing before Sarajevo’s National Theater, which in less troubled times would have hosted the world premiere of his comic drama “Focus, Grandma”—the opening film of the 26th edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival. “In front of the theater, there is this red carpet and nothing else,” Žalica told Variety.

Leo Barraclough Senior International CorrespondentThe Sarajevo Film Festival has shifted this year’s edition online, abandoning plans for a mostly physical event, as COVID 19 rates surge in Bosnia.In a statement, the organizers said the decision “confirms the Sarajevo Film Festival’s responsibility and commitment to its community.” The fest will run Aug. 14-21 as planned.The world premiere of “Focus, Grandma,” helmed by Bosnian director Pjer Žalica, opens the festival’s program.