Sjaj U Ocima (Loving Glances)

Even if some may find this movie light, my eyes cannot see much lightness in a story that tells us about so many things without saying something special. Let me explain. This movie is about two Serbian refugees that due to circumstances meet in Belgrade and eventually fall in love. That’s the linear story.

But the movie is full of references to that horrific genocide and most interesting is the clear and simple explanation for someone like me that is miles and miles away from there, of the dynamics that propelled the war.

I saw the movie very quiet and I’m still quiet. I’ll be quiet for a while as the way Srdjan Karanovic chose to told the story is quite different to what you expect of a war story and its consequences in the life of ordinary people.

I think is brilliant that by telling a romantic story, you learn and feel the pain of war, besides making it easier to watch, it also penetrates in you, deep. See I noticed quite early what was happening and as the story developed I was feeling a deep angst that could not come out, as the images and the front story I was seeing didn’t allowed the angst to totally manifest itself. This is just brilliant; Karanovic is a great storyteller and a great filmmaker.

When the movie starts there is a dedicatory to Rene Clair, this should tip everyone that knows serious cinema, the kind of movie you’ll be seeing.

The movie was nominated for the Golden Lion in the 2003 Venice Film Festival.

The movie is not for all audiences, as the pace is very slow and uses characters that are ghost or words in your head; but, since it is also a love story and perhaps most people can see only romance and lightness in this movie, then it can have a wider audience.

This is a must be seen movie for those that appreciate serious cinema, but be prepared to live and feel an awful war.