Hidden People

by Miha Hočevar

Skriti ljudje, fiction
In progress

SI, RS

Guti (35, Slovenian) and Sig (50, Icelander) wake up naked and handcuffed to one another on a riverbank near Ljubljana. Sig suffers from memory loss, while Guti recalls a fight with skinheads Sid drunkenly participated in and Guti tried peacefully to intervene in. Sig has no passport or any clue about his identity—the skinheads have taken everything he owned. Guti is trying to build a new home for himself on a river raft after losing his house to the bank and his life to his ex-wife. He introduces Sig to his friends—suburban misfits, who remind Sig of a legend of the hidden people. The film is a fairy-tale dramedy about new beginnings. It is also a self-ironic story about small countries and nations (Slovenia and Iceland) in the “big” Europe; about the unexpected connections that can help us find our place under the sun and continue with our lives. Finally, it is also about a vast number of invisible people who feel like “internal refugees” in the European societies they are a part of.

screenwriter
Srdjan Koljević, Miha Hočevar
director
Miha Hočevar
producer
Danijel Hočevar
co-producer
Igor Kecman, Jelena Mitrović
director of photography
Simon Tanšek
production designer
Neža Zinajić
key make-up artist
Mojca Gorogranc Petrushevska

featuring
Blaž Šef, Ana Urbanc, Barbara Ribnikar, Igor Samobor, Luka Marčetić, Gregor Gruden, Janez Hočevar

production
Vertigo
co-production
RTV Slovenija, Backroom Production
in collaboration with
Film Studio Viba Film
co-funding
Slovenian Film Centre, Film Center Serbia, Re-Act, Creative Europe - MEDIA

Vertigo
Danijel Hočevar
info@vertigo.si

Miha Hočevar (1963) created and directed hundreds of commercials—including certain TV commercials that have been very successful and popular. He writes scripts too. So far, he directed five features and several shorts. Three of his features – Going Our Way 2 (2013), Going Our Way (2010), and Fuck It (2000) – were major box-office successes in Slovenia and are second and sixth biggest Slovenian box-office hits of all time.

Vertigo Ljubljana is a Slovenian production company with a distinctive track record and extensive experience with international co-productions. Vertigo’s carefully balanced slate consists of various formats, from high-end art-house features, socially engaging documentaries, selected shorts to TV series. More than 40 feature films, 20 documentaries and short films and TV series include award-winning titles such as Pero by Damjan Kozole (SI, feature doc, 2023; Official Selection of the IFF Rotterdam), The Happiest Man in the World by Teona Mitevska (MK/BE/SI/DK/HR/BA, 2022; Venice FF - Orizzonti, Toronto IFF, Grand Jury Prize at the Les Arcs EFF 2022), Wake Me by Marko Šantić (SI/HR/RS, 2022; Black Nights FF - Critic’s Pick Competition), Small Body by Laura Samani (IT/SI/FR, 2021; Cannes FF Critic’s Week 2021; European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI at the European Film Awards 2022), Reconciliation by Marija Zidar (SI/RS/MW/XK, feature doc, 2021; CPH:DOX, IDFA, Sarajevo FF, DokuFest Priznren Main Award), Otac – Father by Srdan Golubović (RS/FR/DE/SI/HR/BA, 2020; Ecumenical Prize and Audience Award at the Berlinale - Panorama), An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker by Danis Tanović (BA/SI/FR, 2013, Silver Bear - grand Jury Prize at Berlinale 2013, shortlisted for the international feature film at the Academy awards 2014), Alexandrians by Metod Pevec (SI/IT, feature doc, 2011; Best Documentary at Trieste FF), Bread and Milk by Jan Cvitković (SI, 2001; Lion of the Future at Venice FF 2001), and Half-Sister (SI/MK/RS, 2019; Karlovy Vary IFF - Main Competition), Nightlife (SI/MK/BA, 2016; Best Director Award at Karlovy Vary IFF), Slovenian Girl (SI/DE/HR/RS, 2009; Toronto IFF, Sarajevo FF, Busan IFF, released in more than 30 countries, incl. France, Germany, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan and USA), and Spare Parts (SI, 2003, Berlinale Competition) all by Damjan Kozole.