Bako decides to seek treatment for alcoholism in a psychiatric hospital. There he meets Medea, a drug addict, and Drago, a naive and good-natured chess-loving psychiatric patient. The dominant, harsh Senior doctor organizes an "Olympics," and the three form a team called Hotel Alcohol. After a failure in the competition, they decide to run away to the seaside. Medea and Drago’s condition worsens without medication, and the pharmacist Marjana refuses to give them pills without a prescription. They tie her up and serve themselves. In the tense siege, they bond, freeing themselves from their burdens.
An archaeologist by education, Jan Cvitkovič is first and foremost a director, actor, writer and a poet. He has written and directed several award-winning features and shorts. The numerous awards under his belt include the Lion of the Future (Venice IFF, 2001) and several others for Bread and Milk; more than twenty prizes for Gravehopping from different internationally-acclaimed festivals, including the Altadis-New Directors Award at the San Sebastian IFF 2005; four awards for Archeo; and the Audience Award at the Cottbus IFF 2015 for Šiška Deluxe. Selected filmography (feature, after 2010): The Basics of Killing (2017), Šiška Deluxe (2015), Archeo (2011).
“From early on, my life has been quite closely intertwined with people with disabilities, alcoholics, psychiatric patients, drug addicts and “addicts” of all kinds. In this film I want to bring the audience closer to that world and demystify it in a serious way, that will, however, be interlaced considerably with comic elements. A demystifying of any taboo can only take place through the prism of intelligent humour. Condemning others is running away from the essence and running away from oneself at the same time, approaching those who are “different”, and the different can be an act of getting closer to the essence of things in this world.”
Staragara stands as one of the most dynamic and renowned Slovenian film production companies, boasting significant turnover and a robust portfolio of diverse projects in various stages of development and production. Over the past two decades, we've assembled a cohesive production team, drawing from the finest talents among Slovenian and regional directors. Our journey has witnessed the establishment of a formidable lineup and an extensive network of collaborators spanning former Eastern Europe and the broader European landscape.
As a delegate producer, Staragara has contributed to the creation of nine feature films, each representing a pinnacle of cinematic achievement. Additionally, our involvement in numerous minority co-productions has led to premieres at prestigious international film festivals such as Venice, Cannes, San Sebastian, Rotterdam, Locarno, Tallinn, IDFA, Sarajevo, and Tribeca. This rich tapestry of experiences underscores our commitment to excellence and innovation in the world of filmmaking.