21/08/2024 - In Mladen Kovacevic’s documentary, the protagonists grapple with the question of whether they’re living the existence they should be living

School kids living on top of “paradise island” wait for the rain to stop. A former advertising executive is closing a land deal for her new villa. An entrepreneur battles nature while building a resort in the jungle. A veterinarian works cleaning snakes from the gardens of foreigners. An influencer, disillusioned with love, recovers from losing everything overnight. A father and son prepare to leave for good, not knowing where they will go. A dancer adopts a new identity, distancing herself from everything she’s ever known. Divers venture into uncharted waters, risking their lives for the challenge of conquest. The tensions between life’s possibilities revolve around the question of what life one should be living, with every decision leading to a different version of oneself. And while the earthly paradise might be nothing more than an ideal of the imagination, humanity’s relentless pursuit of happiness persists.

This is the premise of award-winning director Mladen Kovačević’s latest effort, titled Possibility of Paradise [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mladen Kovačević
film profile] and set to world-premiere in the Giornate degli Autori strand of this year’s Venice Film Festival (28 August-7 September).

Possibility of Paradise is being produced by Iva Plemić Divjak for Serbia’s Horopter Film Production and Sweden’s MDEMC Produktion AB, with backing from Film Center Serbia, the Republic of Serbia’s Ministry of Culture and the Swedish Film Institute.

Taskovski Films is in charge of the feature’s world sales. Commenting on the acquisition, the outfit’s CEO, Irena Taskovski, said: “We’re proud of Mladen Kovacevic and Iva Plemić as they present Possibility of Paradise in Venice. Mladen’s unique cinematic voice and the film’s masterful cinematography create a thought-provoking experience that serves as a mirror to many of us. After 20 years of championing unique talents worldwide, Taskovski Films believes this film’s universal themes and creative brilliance will connect with audiences globally, and we’re dedicated to ensuring it reaches its full potential.”

The helmer added: “Once a film is completed, my mind is already on the next project – even before the premiere. With this being my third collaboration with Taskovski, I have full confidence in Irena Taskovski’s ability to champion unconventional cinema, bringing narrative subtlety and direct cinematic experiences to the forefront.”

Check out our exclusive clip and poster below: