When Father Was Away on Business
In a post-WWII Yugoslavia still under Stalinist rule in the 1950s, six-year-old Malik is oblivious as to why his father, Mehmed, has suddenly disappeared. In truth, Mehmed has been sent to a labor camp as punishment for acts of sexual indiscretion involving young girls. Malik's mother, Senija, however, has no answers, and the family must cope in the father's absence.
Runtime
2h 16m
Language
SH
Budget
Undisclosed
Revenue
Undisclosed
Cast
Faces behind the story
Moreno de Bartoli
Malik
Predrag 'Miki' Manojlović
Mehmed 'Meša' Zolj, otac
Mirjana Karanović
Senija 'Sena' Zolj, majka
Mustafa Nadarević
Zijah 'Zijo' Zulfikarpašić
Mira Furlan
Ankica Vidmar
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Gallery
Frames that sell the world
Reviews
Audience signals
Emir Kusturica's When Father Was Away on Business is a courageous, funny, and deeply moving film that blends comedy, family drama, and political realism. The title refers to the lie a family tells a six-year-old boy to explain his father's imprisonment in a labor camp for a thoughtless remark that offended Communist officials. It won the Palme d'Or at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.
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