Selected film sets under the clear skies of Istria

Under the clear Istrian sky, a carefully curated selection of cinematic masterpieces has been unveiled as part of this year’s summer film festival circuit. The event, organized by the Arrigoni Cinema and the Cultural, Sports, and Event Center in Izola, has chosen the Wednesday evenings for its series of film anniversaries under the stars. On one such evening, attendees were invited into a deep discussion with Dr. Ernest Ženkov from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Primorska and film critic Ana Jurc, who introduced the screening of Stanley Kubrick's controversial masterpiece A Clockwork Orange, which marks its 55th anniversary this year but had faced technical challenges. Organizers are attempting to reschedule the screening due to these issues. Next week, another groundbreaking film will be presented—Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver—which continues to inspire with its psychologically complex characters and raw neo-noir aesthetic fifty years after its release. On July 21, the festival will showcase Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting, known for its frenetic hyper-realism and outstanding musical choices that captured the spirit of the time, making it one of the most standout films of the 1990s. The festival also extends its reach beyond the coastal towns, venturing into the heart of the Istrian countryside. In the village of Kubed, near the local castle, the Kino Istra program begins with the screening of Blum – Masters of Their Own Future, directed by Bosnian filmmaker Jasmila Žbanić. This film delves deeply into the life and work of Emerik Blum, founder of Sarajevo's Energoinvest, once a major Yugoslav economic giant. Blum played a pivotal role in bringing the Winter Olympics to Sarajevo in 1984 just before his retirement. The festival plans to return to multiple locations throughout September, with several highlights including the documentary Yugo Goes to America, which explores historical questions about identity along the Gorizia border. Another notable entry is Don’t Forget Me, created by authors Anja Medved and Nada Velušček, offering an intimate look at life on the border. Additionally, the festival features Father Mother Sister Brother, a recent film by American independent cinema veteran Jim Jarmusch, starring Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, and Vicky Krieps. In addition to the rural screenings, the festival makes a special appearance in Koper, where last year's open-air movie nights proved highly successful. The Youth, Culture, and Tourism Office of Koper, in collaboration with the cultural arts society Mrak, brings five film projections to the city’s central square, Prešeren Square. Among these, the opening film is the comedic crime thriller Just One More Sunday! by legendary New Wave director François Truffaut. Also featured is Another Round, directed by Francesco Sossai, which pays homage to forgotten corners of the Veneto region and its people. August sees further additions, including the absurdist superhero satire Burnt by the Sun by French eccentric Quentin Dupieux, and Everything Everywhere All At Once, which successfully parodies multiverse films. The final evening on August 16 will feature the engaging drama Broker by acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda. After a six-year hiatus, the Piran Under the Stars cinema festival has finally returned, hosted by the Georgios Pastoral-Cultural Center. Eight free film screenings will take place every Wednesday until August 26. The festival opened with a premiere of the Slovenian film Hidden People directed by Mih Hočevar, and will conclude with the excellent documentary Praslovan by Slobodan Maksimović, which sheds light on Zoran Predo, an icon of the Yugoslav New Wave. These diverse selections highlight the rich tapestry of international cinema, ensuring that audiences have access to both classic and contemporary works throughout the summer months.