The Serbian director Srdjan Dragojevic is at the Locarno Film Festival with his dark comedy ”Heavens Above” which is in the International Competition lineup.
”Heavens Above” deals with three stories about the impact of three God's Miracles in the medieval sense that happen to the film's heroes living in a post-communist society, after half a century of atheism, relearns about Christianity. The film centers on Stojan played by Goran Novajec, a man that is simpleminded and yet kind hearted. A freaky accident puts a glowing halo above his head and quickly becomes an object of veneration.
Through these stories, Dragojevic creates a grotesque vision of former communst countries after their shift into capitalism. The director sees the film as being about the development of the Balkan region. He says to Variety that the 90s were a time of war. In the 2000s there was some kind of new era, a transition; and the future, that is not so bright. Dragojevic decided not to talk about Serbia or former Yugoslavia, he thinks it is a story about Eastern Europé and how people are getting back to Chistianity after 50 years of communism.
”Heavens Above” is inspired by short stories by French author Marcel Aymé which Dragojevic thought would be fantastic for film. He came across these stories in his early 20s and three decades later he came across that book again. He then thought that these are the perfect stories to be told when someone is getting into this period of life when thinking about serious issues, like Christianity, Miracles and things. Then he started to develop the script.