Cradle

During the research for my film, I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the company of the Mihajlovič family. In a way, they have already accepted me as their child. What fascinated me most was their resistance to the centralization of the Slovenian countryside and the mass relocations to the cities. They decided to settle in a remote place and build their house there, while the rest of the villagers decided exactly the opposite - to leave. But it was their children Lidija, Aleks and Marko, in particular, who caught my attention. Of the children, Lydia stood out the most for her sincerity.

By the time you finish primary school, a person somehow begins to become aware of himself and his environment for the first time. You leave the gaze of children and step towards adulthood. During this period, the first important infatuations happen, the first kisses, and the first time you feel your responsibility to the world.
At this point, Lydia begins to become aware of herself as an individual who has an impact on the environment and society around her. She realizes that her actions have consequences for which she must answer differently than she did as a child. In short, this is where her life kind of begins. From this point of view, it was even more interesting to me; because the subject was very independent and self-reliant even as a child. This can be attributed to the environment in which she lives since she had a lot of responsibilities as a child (cooking, taking care of the farm,...).
Regardless of her "maturity," she has a shortcoming as an individual entering society. The environment has allowed her to grow into a responsible person, but on the other hand, it also limits her. She has never hung out in the playgrounds before school, has no friends of the same age, and is socially isolated in her own way.
I focused on her view of the world. I was interested in her attitude toward family members and what role she plays in contrast to her brothers. How she builds the self-image that will stay with her throughout her life. I kept asking myself, "Who is Lydia and where is she going?".
Lydia's story is in a way also my story, because I "separated" from my family and my childhood in the same way. So with this film, I want to bring you closer to a time that no one can escape - growing up. It is easy for us to get attached to it, and it revives our memories and feelings. I will try to show this wonderful journey (even if sometimes it is real torture) through self-discovery and the creation of your true self.

The result of our work is an intimate film about the "last days" of childhood.