Self-Sown

by David Champaigne

Samorastnik, 2025, fiction, c
Finished
SI
Set in a summer-scorched suburban district, Self-Sown follows Nikola, a 17-year-old moving between petty crime, idle days with friends, and moments of restless intensity. Within his close-knit group, he performs confidence and control, finding release in risk, humour, and sudden bursts of violence. Among them is Klara, 16, whose presence cuts through the group dynamic with a more direct, unguarded connection to him. At home, Nikola lives with his mother Sandra, 36. Their relationship unfolds in fragments—shared routines, silences, and brief attempts at closeness. As Sandra withdraws further into herself, Nikola takes on small responsibilities, trying to maintain a sense of order while avoiding what remains unspoken between them. Moving between these two spaces, Nikola struggles to contain the pressure building beneath the surface. A confrontation with a debtor escalates beyond control, exposing the limits of the identity he performs among his peers. His interactions with Klara begin to shift, as her attempts to reach him are met with deflection and distance. The tension between Nikola’s external world and his private reality becomes harder to sustain. After a series of ruptures—at home, among friends, and within himself, he is left facing the quiet aftermath of his actions. In the stillness that follows, small gestures begin to replace confrontation, allowing for a fragile proximity between him, Klara, and his mother.
screenwriters
David Champaigne, Ela Božič
director
David Champaigne
producer
Kaja Horvat
choreographer
Branko Ristić
director of photography
Tadej Vintar
music composer
Aljoša Živadinov Zupančič
film editor
Taša Tomić Egart
production designer
Žan Šabeder
costume designers
Katarina Šavs, Pia Gorišek
key make-up artist
Laura Butkovič
sound designer
Dino Dolničar
featuring
Svit Šturbej, Nika Rozman, Alisa Milićević, Josip Kadić, Nejc Cijan Garlatti, Jan Gerl Korenč, Marko Rafolt, Ivan Vastl, Laura Prajs, Miha Kovačič, Gaja Filač, Leo Behrić, Rene Rado Bohinc, Glen David Champaigne, David Champaigne, Matevž Sluga
production
UL AGRFT - Akademija za gledališče, radio, film in televizijo
co-production
RTV Slovenija
co-funding
Slovenian Film Centre

AGRFT UL

David Champaigne