It's Hard to Be Nice

  • 102'
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • 2007
This second feature by Srdjan Vuletic, the former Tiger Award Winner (Summer in the Golden Valley, IFFR 2004) is, like his début, set in his hometown Sarajevo. As well as from the first film, one can see that he films with a lot of emotion, thorough observation, but also criticism. Srdjan Vuletic keeps talking about something that is close to his heart: his beloved city, and he even uses its special language and its special (sometimes bittersweet) humour.
The film is about the taxi driver Fudo (Sasa Petrovic), his wife and their child, and Fudo's struggle for survival in cruel post-war capitalism with its new exploiters and black market rules. When Fudo decides to stop his minor criminal activities for the sake of his small family, he finds out that he is not really free to do so. His fellow taxi driver (and criminal entrepreneur) Sejo, who lent him some money (which he used to buy a new car), starts blackmailing him and asking vague and danger-related favours. When Fudo tries to refuse, he gets deeper and deeper in trouble. It is really hard to be nice and to survive in this new society full of corruption and crime. Fudo's life has some more surprises for him to deal with. But life (or the director) treats all those ups and downs with warmth - and a pinch of humour. (LC)


  • 102'
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • 2007
Director
Srdjan Vuletic
Premiere
European premiere
Countries of production
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, United Kingdom, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia
Year
2007
Festival Edition
IFFR 2008
Length
102'
Medium
35mm
Original title
Tesko je biti fin
Language
Bosnian
Producers
Ademir Kenovic, Pierre Spengler, Michael Eckelt
Production Company
Refresh Production
Sales
Fortissimo Films
Screenplay
Srdjan Vuletic
Cinematography
Slobodan Trninic
Editor
Andrija Zafranovic, Almir Kenovic
Production Design
Goran Joksimovic
Sound Design
Nenad Vukadinovic
Music
Sasa Losic, Srdjan Kurpjel
Cast
Aleksandar Seksan, Emir Hadzihafizbegovic, Jasna Zalica
Local Distributor
Cinemien
Director
Srdjan Vuletic
Premiere
European premiere
Countries of production
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, United Kingdom, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia
Year
2007
Festival Edition
IFFR 2008
Length
102'
Medium
35mm
Original title
Tesko je biti fin
Language
Bosnian
Producers
Ademir Kenovic, Pierre Spengler, Michael Eckelt
Production Company
Refresh Production
Sales
Fortissimo Films
Screenplay
Srdjan Vuletic
Cinematography
Slobodan Trninic
Editor
Andrija Zafranovic, Almir Kenovic
Production Design
Goran Joksimovic
Sound Design
Nenad Vukadinovic
Music
Sasa Losic, Srdjan Kurpjel
Cast
Aleksandar Seksan, Emir Hadzihafizbegovic, Jasna Zalica
Local Distributor
Cinemien