Gregor Božić

STORIES FROM CHESTNUT WOODS

ZGODBE IZ KOSTANJEVIH GOZDOV

Slovenia , 2019., 81’

Once upon a time, somewhere in a far-off land, lived an elderly husband and wife. The old woman fell sick and died, and the old man, a stingy carpenter, found himself alone. Pondering the life he had lived, he met a young woman, a chestnut seller who desperately wanted to leave home and find a better life overseas. Surrounded by nothing but the rudimentary nature these lonely souls share fond memories as well as contemplations of their futures. Should they remain haunted by a life that was, or does another path call, joining countless others on the rickety cart to a life unknown? A chance encounter gives rise to a dreamy fairy tale about the disappearance of a small community that once existed on the Yugoslav-Italian border.

Gregor Božić
graduated from the screenwriting department at La Fémis in Paris. His award-winning short films, including American Football (Angers Film Festival, 2013), Try To Die Young (César nominee, 2016) and Ghost Pleasure (Directors’ Fortnight, 2019) have been selected and shown worldwide. His first feature film, A Taste of Ink, featured in L’Atelier Cinéfondation at Cannes in 2015 and has been awarded in numerous international film festivals, including San Sebastiàn. Released in 2017 and praised by the international press, A Taste of Ink received a nomination for the prestigious Louis-Delluc Prize for Best First Film. In 2018, Morgan Simon is jury member for the Queer Palm at the 71st Cannes Film Festival. He is currently working on his second feature film.