Rooster's Breakfast (Slovene: Petelinji zajtrk) is a Slovenian drama released in 2007. It is an adaptation of less known novel of the same name by Feri Lainšček. The film is the most acclaimed and most successful Slovenian films of all times,[1] and also the third most successful movie in Slovenia, following Titanic and Troy.[2]
| Petelinji zajtrk | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Marko Naberšnik |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Franci Zajc |
| Starring |
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| Distributed by | Ars Media |
Release dates | Slovenia, 18 November 2007 |
Running time | 125 min |
| Country | Slovenia |
| Language | Slovene |
The film takes place in the Mura Valley, in the vicinity of Gornja Radgona. David Slavinec, nicknamed Đuro (Primož Bezjak) has recently been laid off from his job. However, his former boss points him to a new job at the automechanic shop owned by his acquaintance Pišti Gajaš (Vlado Novak), which he gladly accepts. Gajaš is an experienced, but somewhat naive local car mechanic who frequently talks about the past times when, in his opinion, life was much better for the ordinary people. His friends frequently visit him to play cards and discuss the events happening around them.
Cveto Vuksanović - Lepec, (Dario Varga) the town's biggest thug and the owner of the local night club, frequently visits Gajaš to repair his Mercedes. Gajaš always repairs the car for him although Lepec always finds an excuse not to pay the bill immediately, preferring payments in various small favors to Gajaš and his friends. One day, Đuro meets Bronja, (Pia Zemljič), the wife of Lepec who brings in her car for repair. One day she asks Đuro to drive her to Austria to get some pills for her friend. They soon start meeting each other. On one occasion she tells Đuro that she and her husband have become estranged after the birth of their daughter and the pills were meant to cure her severe nervous breakdown. Đuro and Bronja start a passionate affair, which Gajaš discovers, but keeps hidden from Lepec, who nevertheless becomes suspicious when he finds the lighter forgotten by Đuro in their bedroom.
In the meantime, Gajaš dreams about Severina, a well-known Croatian pop star, who is on tour in the town. When Lepec drives his car in for a repair again, Gajaš demands he pays the debts from the past. This time Lepec pays him some money and gives a promise he will bring Severina to his place to have a dinner with him. Late that evening, Severina comes and joins Gajaš at the dinner. The next morning Gajaš joyfully tells Đuro that he had "rooster's breakfast" (i.e. morning sex) with Severina, but Đuro tells him that the girl he slept with wasn't the real Severina, but a lookalike prostitute. Soon Lepec appears and spots a necklace given to Đuro by Bronja, thus discovering their affair. After a quarrel with Lepec, Gajaš pulls out the gun and shoots Lepec before he can strike Đuro. Some time later, Đuro visits Gajaš in prison who orders him to take over his workshop and to maintain it in such order as did he. He then settles there with Bronja and her daughter.
The film won 5 awards at the 10th Festival of Slovenian Film. It was also the Slovenian candidate for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film nomination in 2009 (81st Academy Awards).