I caught ARMIN last month at the Tribeca Film Festival; this is a modest, gentle character study which, thanks to the impressive performances of the two leads, has surprising impact and staying power.
Ibro (Emir Hadzihafisbegovic) and his son Armin (Armin Omerovic) leave their little village in Bosnia and head for Zagreb, Croatia, where Armin has an audition for a film dealing with the recent war in the Balkans. Father and son aren't exactly on the same wavelength; they get along well enough, but seem curiously out of touch with one another. Ibro pushes a bit too hard in his efforts to be a steadfast guardian, and Armin seems slightly embarrassed by his dad's unpolished, provincial ways. Ibro, however, couldn't care less how he's coming across; his main concern is that Armin be given the chance to show what he can do as a performer. And Ibro's bulldozer determination yields benefits when his son is given a special musical audition; suddenly, when he's playing his beloved accordion, the sullen, diffident Armin comes to life and projects unexpected warmth and personality.
So, does he get the part? And does everyone live happily ever after? I'll only say that director/screenwriter Ognjen Svilicic has a few surprises up his sleeve and the finale he delivers is a satisfying one that not only leaves Ibro and Armin in step, but with their dignity intact.
Ibro (Emir Hadzihafisbegovic) and his son Armin (Armin Omerovic) leave their little village in Bosnia and head for Zagreb, Croatia, where Armin has an audition for a film dealing with the recent war in the Balkans. Father and son aren't exactly on the same wavelength; they get along well enough, but seem curiously out of touch with one another. Ibro pushes a bit too hard in his efforts to be a steadfast guardian, and Armin seems slightly embarrassed by his dad's unpolished, provincial ways. Ibro, however, couldn't care less how he's coming across; his main concern is that Armin be given the chance to show what he can do as a performer. And Ibro's bulldozer determination yields benefits when his son is given a special musical audition; suddenly, when he's playing his beloved accordion, the sullen, diffident Armin comes to life and projects unexpected warmth and personality.
So, does he get the part? And does everyone live happily ever after? I'll only say that director/screenwriter Ognjen Svilicic has a few surprises up his sleeve and the finale he delivers is a satisfying one that not only leaves Ibro and Armin in step, but with their dignity intact.