NIKOLI NISVA ŠLA V BENETKE / WE’VE NEVER BEEN TO VENICE
(Slovenia, 2008)

Director: Blaž Kutin
Screenplay: Blaž Kutin, Rolanda Rebrek
Cast: Aljoša Ternovšek, Iva Krajnc, Peter Ternovšek, Tadej Toš
Director of Photography: Mitja Ličen
Editor: Jurij Moškon
Art Design: Niko Novak
Music: Polona Janežič
Sound: Boštjan Kačičnik, Jože Trtnik
Producers: Andrej Kregar, Rolanda Rebrek, Blaž Kutin

Tone, an older man, drives from Germany to visit his son Grega and his daughter-in-law Masha. Though nobody talks about it, something horrible has happened. In attempt to ease their pain for a moment, Tone takes the young couple out for an ice-cream and so begins their drive around the countryside. On the road, Grega and Masha experience sudden changes of mood. They get aggressive, deeply saddened, suddenly cheerful, nervous, depressed … They are together but each on their own, and the gap between them is growing. Meanwhile, Tone drives them further away from home but no further from what has happened.

Peter Ternovsek, Aljosa Ternovsek and Iva Krajnc
Nikoli nisva sla v Benetke / We’ve Never Been to Venice

“The space and time between the sudden death and funeral becomes artificial documentary material, an emotional geographic space, maybe also pornographic, still unexplored by a human expeditions. The expedition is led by the debutant Blaž Kutin – Aki Kaurismaki from Ljubljana.”
Il Manifesto, November 2008

“Film art, exploited to its limits, demonstrating all of its capabilities through which the direction gives rise to countless reflections and emotions. The imagery, creating meaning among hinted gestures, and the story unveil slowly, which is a truly calming vision for all those who love film and its most minimalist varieties.”
Meltinpot, November 2008

“Probably the most original and freshest film of last year’s ex-Yugoslavian film production. A great movie in a small package.”
E-novine, January 2009

“The movie which has successfully screened at many festivals and starts with a 5-minute long shot, probably the longest “one-shot” in the history of Slovenian film, does not let us come near its protagonists. It protects them from us, jackals and sheep. For that which has happened, there are no words, and this film respects that. The actions of all three protagonists seem illogical and irrational, but in the end they turn out to be completely logical, even dreadfully and catastrophically logical, and unbearably rational.”
Mladina, October 2009

“The silence, the intimacy, the ability to summarize, the production of sense for the essential and evocative images make it one of the most beautiful films (if not the best) among those in competition at the 2008 Torino Film Festival.”
I Cinemaniaci, December 2008

“We’ve Never Been to Venice, in Competition at Estoril Film Festival, was a unique experience. It depicts suffering and respect, unconditional union, and above all a clear mixture of images, environment and mood. The dialogues are almost nonexistent simply because they have to be. Because some things can not be explained in words.”
Pause on Set, November 2008

Iva Krajnc and Aljosa Ternovsek
Nikoli nisva sla v Benetke / We’ve Never Been to Venice

Aljosa Ternovsek, Iva Krajnc and Peter Ternovsek
Nikoli nisva sla v Benetke / We’ve Never Been to Venice

Sarajevo Film Festival (August 15-23, 2008), In competition
Slovenian Film Festival (October 22-25, 2008), In competition
Estoril Fim Festival (November 14 -22, 2008), In competition
Torino Film Festival (November  21-29, 2008), In competition
Festival Premiers Plans Angers (January 16 -25, 2009), Figures libres
Goteborg Film Festival (January 23 -2 February, 2009), Debuter
Cape Winelands Film Festival (March 20 – 29, 2009), In competition – Special Mention
Lubuskie Film Summer – Lagow 2009 (June 21 – 28, 2009), Kalejdoskop
Levante Film Festival (November 7 – 14, 2009), In competition