Twentysomething Raša (Nermina Lukaç) lives in a small town in southern Sweden where she packs bags of salad for supermarkets, and takes care of her ailing dad (Milan Dragišic)… but then she loses her job. The director’s first film also became a breakthrough for her and Lukaç who had never appeared in a movie. There are plenty of other amateurs in the cast, but that’s often barely noticeable, which is a great credit to Gabriela Pichler’s directing skills. Lukaç is the heart of this funny and warm film, a realistic portrayal of how hard it is to lose a much-needed job and trying to find a new one. Very honest – but also a lot more inspiring than it might sound on paper.
2012-Sweden. 100 min. Color. Produced by China Åhlander. Written and directed by Gabriela Pichler. Cast: Nermina Lukaç (Raša), Milan Dragišic (Dad), Jonathan Lampinen (Nicki), Peter Fält, Ružica Pichler.
Trivia: Original title: Äta sova dö. Ružica Pichler is the director’s mother.
Last word: “I wanted to tell the story about the people I always loved, but was ashamed to be a part of. I wanted to make Rasa a ‘Rocky Balboa’-kind-of-character in Swedish countryside. Not fighting in the ring, but against unemployment and society’s bureaucracy.” (Pichler, IndieWire)
