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Agnus Dei

Synopsis: 

Agnus Dei

A young man Peter, who is around thirties, lives a desperate life with his mother Maria and her husband Stojan in one village of Serbia. Peter is born in Kosova from a forbidden love between his mother Maria and the young Albanian man, but for this he is not aware Is the period of time when the relations between Serbs and Albanians are inimical, exactly is the time of the beginning of war. Peter is forced by his mother and the others to go to the war. He intends to escape the war and goes to the West. He is mobilized forcefully in one paramilitary unit in Kosova’s war. In one action prepared as a revenge, he kills his father Dini whom he never had the chance to meet. Being not able to bear the arbitrary crimes, Peter, deserts from the army. He takes Dini’s daughter Maria and together they escape to the mountains. During their dangerous trip they are followed from both sides of enemies, Serbs and Albanians. Peter and Maria fell in love. They reach to come back in Peter’s home in Serbia. As soon as they returnee home, Peter realizes that he had killed his biologic father and he had fall in love with his sister. Not being able to stand this spiritual condition he commits a suicide.

Runtime: 
01:50:00
Information for the Audience: 

Directors: Agim Sopi

Writers: Agim Sopi

Producers: Agim Sopi, Milazim Saihu

Key cast: Astrit Alihajdaraj, Dafina Berisha

 

Director: Agim Sopi

AGIM SOPI, film-maker 
He is born on 23.07.1956, in Prishtina / Kosovo. He attended the University of Zagreb (Croatia). He has graduated on the Academy of Arts, the branch of directing the film. He is the professor of The Film Theory in Faculty of Arts - Prishtina University.

F i l m o g r a p h y 
The documentary films: The waiting (1980), The midnight guards (1981), Beyond the death (1999).

The feature films: The man of earth (1984), Anathema (2006), Agnus Dei (2012)

The Tv-films: 
The Pelerine (1982),The flower of love (1988), 
The Tower (1990). The autumn of roses (2000).

Director’s Statement

The film ‘Agnus Dei’ is putting upon the idea of myth repetition. The man as an fragile and hurtful human being, always is in a great loss. Even when he loves, when he’s got power or when he is depressed. And even in that time when he wants to escape from the evil, or when he goes straight towards it. Freighting desperately to have the power, ill mannered in action, the man in the permanent behavior fights to dominate upon his mankind, selfish as ever even than when he builds his happiness upon the pain of the others. In reality the man always behaves in his vicious circle of repetition of destiny, the Oedipus in antiquity, or Peter in now days. 
Maria and Peter, mother and son, two faces of one medallion, two selfish creatures, who in continuity loves the same thing, even though one of them runs away from its destiny whereas the other goes straight towards his fate. Being conquered by love and hate, filled with a kind of demonic energy that goes beyond the reason and to resign oneself to one’s passion that is politically motivated, ethnically or ideologically. In the different social-political phases during the period of transitory or during the war time, Maria and Peter remains unchangeable. Only the shape changes. The package of life. ‘Agnus Dei’ doesn’t pretend to change anything. It only goes easily sliding, full with passion and lyrical through the wild and cruel shapes of life in the dictature of war. Being the witness of the destruction and loss. The disheveled individuality as an essential theory of life and destroyable family as on essential institution of civilization. In this manner, ‘Agnus Dei’ pretends to be transformed in one chronicle history of loss, upon the repetition of myth and the resurrection through the period of ages. 
So, ‘Agnus Dei’ doesn’t attempt to change the imagination of what has happened. It pretends to tell the story of love and hate in two generations. Of all the sufferings and incapability, the willing for life even then when life appears impossible, of passion for loving and for being loved. For passion of hate and the wickedness till the annihilation. ‘Agnus Dei’ doesn’t accuse, doesn’t prejudice, doesn’t incline, doesn’t have the political attempt or neither philosophical pretending. In fact, it shows life in the permanent war, the life that has taken the dimensions of myth and which is incapable to get out of the labyrinth of providence /not divine/ but human.

 

Categories:

Screenings / Awards: 
  • The Prestige Film Festival – Eureka, California /May 2013/

    Eureka, California
    May 22, 2013
    Not yet premier
    Gold Prestige Award - Feature Film

  • The international Film Awards Berlin /July 2013/

    Berlin, Germany
    July 11, 2013
    Not yet premier
    Honorable Mention Award

  • Cannes van d’Or – European Film Festival – London, /Sept. 2013/

    London, UK
    September 22, 2013
    UK Premier
    Best Feature Film

  • Ionian International Film Festival – Lefkas, / 2013/

    Lefkas, Greece
    September 18, 2013
    Greece Premier
    Best Feature Film

  • London Crystal Palace International Film Festival /2013/

    London, UK
    November 23, 2013
    Not yet premier
    Best in Festival

  • London Film Awards 2013 – London, UK /2013/

    London, UK
    December 22, 2013
    Not yet premier
    Best Foreign Film

  • California Film Awards 2013 – San Diego, USA /2013/

    San Diego, USA
    December 28, 2013
    Not yet premier
    Special Jury Prize

  • Winter Film Festival / Awards 2014

    New York
    February 28, 2014
    New York Premiere
    Best Foreign Language Film

  • Indie Film Fest 2014

    La Jolla, California
    March 12, 2014
    Not yet
    Award of Merit

  • World Film Festival - Awards 2014

    Jakarta, Indonesia
    June 15, 2014
    Indonesia premiere
    Best International Film

  • Dea International Film Festival 2014

    Saranda, Albania
    June 24, 2014
    Special Jury Prize

  • Asia Pacific International Filmmaker Festival 2014

    Jakarta, Indonesia
    June 26, 2014
    Best Feature Film

  • Salento International Film Festival 2014

    Tricase, Italy
    June 25, 2014
    Italian premier
    Best Feature Film

  • Colorado International Film Festival 2014

    Colorado Springs
    August 22, 2014
    Best Editing

  • International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality 2014

    Jakarta, Indonesia
    September 24, 2014
    Overall Winner - Best Film, Best Feature Film, Award of Exelence

  • Baghdad International Film Festival 2014

    Baghdad
    October 19, 2014
    Midle East Premiere
    2nd Prize

  • Free Spirit Film Festival 2014

    Mecleod Ganj
    October 29, 2014
    No.
    Best Film

  • Filmmaker of the Year 2014

    Jakarta, Indonesia
    November 26, 2014
    Best Film

  • Accolade Global Film Competition

    La Jolla, California
    December 8, 2014
    Award of Exellence

  • Mexico International Film Festival

    Rosarito, Mexico
    May 1, 2013
    Mexico Premiere
    Best Drama

  • Back in the Box Competition Film Festival

    Los Angeles
    December 20, 2014
    Not yet.
    Best Feature Length Film

  • International Indipedent Film Awards

    Encino, California
    January 3, 2015
    Not yet.
    Gold Award - Feature Film

  • Mostra Internacional de Cinema da Amazônia

    Manaus, Brasil
    February 14, 2015
    Best Editing

  • Flathead Lake International Cinemafest

    Polson Montana, USA
    January 24, 2015
    Best Picture - Feature / Special Mention

  • San Francisco Film Award

    San Francisco, USA
    February 26, 2015
    Award of Exellence / Feature Film

  • Canada International Film Festival

    Vancouver, Canada
    April 11, 2015
    Award of Excellence

  • Los Angeles Independent Film Festival / Awards

    Los Angeles
    March 14, 2015
    Best Ensamble Cast

  • International Euro Film Festival

    Marbella, Spain
    April 17, 2015
    Best Drama Film

  • Amsterdam Film Festival

    Amsterdam, NL
    April 30, 2015
    Van Gogh Cinematic Vision Award

  • Cannes Underground Film Festival

    Cannes, France
    April 21, 2015
    Best Feature Film Director

  • Bare Bone International Film Festival

    Muskogee, OK
    April 12, 2015
    Best Feature Film Director

  • L.A. Neo Noir Film Festival

    Los Angeles
    July 15, 2015
    Honotable Mention

  • Montreal Cine Fest

    Montreal, Canada
    July 15, 2015
    Best Cinematographv, Best Director, Best Feature Film

  • Follow Your Dreams Film Festival

    USA
    July 30, 2015
    Best International Feature Film

  • North Carolina Film Festival / Awards

    Raleigh, NC
    August 7, 2015
    Founder's Award

  • MAC Film Festival

    Manaus, Brasil
    August 8, 2015
    Best Feature Screenplay

Information for theatres: 

student project: No
completion date: 2013-01-18
shooting format: 35 mm
aspect ratio: 1,85
film color: Color
first-time filmmaker: No

Total votes: 2126