Saw this at the Munich film festival 2019 (in German: Film Fest München). It was a really compelling story albeit starting quietly and patiently. Initially, it fits the pace of a shepherd's daily life within a small village, though it steams ahead very soon after the quiet start.
Contrary to the usually hefty confrontations in disputes around religious issues, we see no violence in this movie, and everyone behaves in a civilized way. Nevertheless, we see the gaps widening further and further. There is no living-happily-ever-after ending, rather the opposite as more and more differences come to the surface, dividing families and neighbors who lived harmoniously together many years before. The drama is not confined to the dual usage of the church building. Besnik's family is also changing and growing apart, visualized in a final scene where their big dinner table is split in two separate sections.
Nice addition are the landscapes, the animals and the village itself, all photographed very well, though not stealing focus and certainly not deviating from the main story lines. There are two story lines, in fact, each could serve as a plot for two independent films. The film in its current form and shape has an open ending, and I could easily think of an extra half hour for some dormant conflicts that are left undeveloped here. I assume a deliberate choice by the film maker, if only to focus on the church issue and leave the family issues as undercurrent but not the main topic. I would not be surprised when told they had a brainstorm about both variants and made an explicit choice to get at what we saw today. It is their prerogative to do so.
All in all, I can recommend this movie to anyone, regardless of religious beliefs and political viewpoints. The hefty confrontations that I expected from the synopsis, very common when beliefs are the issue, were absent in this movie, and I am glad for that. The developments do not always follow the lines you assumed beforehand, but that is a strong side of this movie. That Bresnik's family shows some problems after initially having lived together in harmony, could have gotten more attention but this may be on purpose.
Contrary to the usually hefty confrontations in disputes around religious issues, we see no violence in this movie, and everyone behaves in a civilized way. Nevertheless, we see the gaps widening further and further. There is no living-happily-ever-after ending, rather the opposite as more and more differences come to the surface, dividing families and neighbors who lived harmoniously together many years before. The drama is not confined to the dual usage of the church building. Besnik's family is also changing and growing apart, visualized in a final scene where their big dinner table is split in two separate sections.
Nice addition are the landscapes, the animals and the village itself, all photographed very well, though not stealing focus and certainly not deviating from the main story lines. There are two story lines, in fact, each could serve as a plot for two independent films. The film in its current form and shape has an open ending, and I could easily think of an extra half hour for some dormant conflicts that are left undeveloped here. I assume a deliberate choice by the film maker, if only to focus on the church issue and leave the family issues as undercurrent but not the main topic. I would not be surprised when told they had a brainstorm about both variants and made an explicit choice to get at what we saw today. It is their prerogative to do so.
All in all, I can recommend this movie to anyone, regardless of religious beliefs and political viewpoints. The hefty confrontations that I expected from the synopsis, very common when beliefs are the issue, were absent in this movie, and I am glad for that. The developments do not always follow the lines you assumed beforehand, but that is a strong side of this movie. That Bresnik's family shows some problems after initially having lived together in harmony, could have gotten more attention but this may be on purpose.
