Take Me Somewhere Nice

Can you simultaneously be two things or does that make you neither? Alma is in between everything: raised in the Netherlands by Bosnian parents, no longer a girl, but not really a woman yet. She hardly knows her father, but when he is admitted to a Bosnian hospital she decides to visit him one last time. This starts a journey with an unknown destination as Alma discovers herself and her country of origin.

Cousin Emir unenthusiastically hosts her, but is too busy with shady deals to take her to the hospital in another town. His friend Denis, a complete layabout, gives Alma more attention. From casual relationships between these young adults to the bone-dry storytelling: everything about this refreshing road movie is reminiscent of the iconic Stranger Than Paradise. And not by accident. Ena Sendijarević often refers to Jim Jarmusch as an example. Her feature film debut also elaborates on themes and stylistic elements that she explored in Reizigers in de nacht, Fernweh and Import: short films in which the characters seem out of place.

Take Me Somewhere Nice ups the weirdness, as if reality itself is off-centre. Unusual camera angles and a minimalist plot introduce us to the mindset of a teen to whom everything is new and nothing is strange.

Winner Special Jury Award, IFFR 2019.