Croatian film ranked 6th best in Europe by critics

Fiume o morte! (Photo: Restart)

The acclaimed Croatian documentary-fiction film Fiume o morte!, directed by Igor Bezinović, has been ranked among the 25 best European films of the past year by Cineuropa, one of the most respected online platforms dedicated to European cinema, the Croatian Audiovisual Center confirmed.

The film secured an impressive sixth place on Cineuropa’s annual list, standing alongside top-ranked titles that premiered at major international festivals in Venice and Cannes.

The recognition further cements Fiume o morte! as one of Croatia’s most successful and internationally visible films in recent years.

In his review for Cineuropa, film critic Marko Stojiljković highlighted the film’s originality and depth, noting that it is far more than a straightforward historical reconstruction.

Bezinović, he wrote, takes the audience to a meta-level by revealing his own creative process as he re-enacts moments captured in archival photographs.

Crucially, the film opens a dialogue with the present, reminding viewers that even when the legacy of certain historical periods seems hidden, a dark or turbulent past is never far away.

Fiume o morte! has already enjoyed a remarkable international journey. It had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it won the festival’s main award as well as the FIPRESCI prize from international critics.

Since then, the film has screened across the globe, from Australia, Canada and the United States to Taiwan and Mexico, and was shown at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

The film has been selected for around 60 international festivals and has so far collected 30 awards and recognitions, including an outstanding six Golden Arena awards at this year’s Pula Film Festival.

On the awards front, Fiume o morte! continues to attract attention. It is Croatia’s official candidate for Oscar consideration and has received two nominations for the European Film Awards, competing for Best European Film and Best European Documentary.

The film is also Croatia’s submission for the Goya Award of the Spanish Academy of Film Arts and Sciences.

Domestic audiences have embraced the film as well. Approximately 40,000 cinema-goers have seen Fiume o morte! in Croatian cinemas, marking a notable box-office success for a documentary-fiction hybrid. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the film has been screening since 21 November, distributed by ICA Cinema.

Directed and written by Igor Bezinović, the film features cinematography by Gregor Božič, editing by Hrvoslav Brkušić, and music by Hrvoje Nikšić and Giovanni Mailer. It was produced by Restart, with producers Vanja Jambrović and Tibor Keser, and co-produced by Nosorogi (Slovenia) and Videomante (Italy).

The full list of Cineuropa’s 25 best European films as selected by its critics is available on the Cineuropa website