Italian
Taskovski Films Sales has picked up “Home Game,” directed by Lidija Zelovic, which will have its world premiere on Friday in the International Competition section of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
Zelovic has been filming her family in the Netherlands since 1993, when they fled their war-torn home in Sarajevo. Her film exposes the duality that all migrants live with: What is “home”? The place where they live or the place they came from? By doing so, the filmmaker draws attention to growing divisions in the Netherlands, which she recognizes from her native Yugoslavia.
Drawing from her family film archive, Zelović alternates scenes at home — discussions about politics and soccer on Sundays with her parents and brother, her son growing up, and holidays “at home” in Bosnia — with political events in the Netherlands, such as political murders, scandals involving government discrimination, growing social polarization, increasing unrest in society and the acceptance of radical right-wing politics at the center of power.
“Home Game” offers “a sometimes funny, often confrontational and always sincere” look into Zelovic’s life, which functions as a mirror for the current political climate in the Netherlands and many other countries around the world.
Popular on Variety Irena Taskovski, CEO and head of acquisitions at Taskovski Films, said: “‘Home Game’ is a wake-up call for our times. Through Lidija Zelovic’s eyes, we confront the echoes of a divided Yugoslavia — a place torn apart by nationalism and civil war — now reflected in the rising tide of right-wing politics, nationalism, and racial tension sweeping across the Netherlands and beyond.
“By blending family moments with the stark reality of today’s social divisions, the film reveals the dangerous parallels between past and present, urging us to question what ‘home’ truly means in an age of deepening divides. With wit, intelligence, and haunting clarity, Zelovic invites audiences everywhere to see the cost of repeating history’s mistakes, challenging us to resist the forces of division and embrace unity. This film is essential viewing for anyone seeking to understand — and change — the world around us.”
The film is produced by Wout Conijn for Conijn Film and co-produced by Zelovic for Zelovic Film.
