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Willow (Macedonian: Врба, romanized: Vrba) is a 2019 Macedonian film by Milcho Manchevski. It is a poignant tale of three women coping with issues of control over their bodies, tradition and adoption. The film premiered at the Rome Film Festival in 2019.[1] А Macedonian-Belgian-Hungarian-Albanian coproduction, it screened at a number of international film festivals, winning several awards: Silver Palm at Mostra de Valencia, best director at Raindance, best film at Cinequest, Manuel De Oliveira Award at Fantasporto etc.
There are two versions of the film - male and female. The female version is 120 minutes long; the male version is 101 minutes long.

The praise for Willow:
“Outstanding”

Willow
Macedonian	Врба
Directed by	Milcho Manchevski
Written by	Milcho Manchevski
Starring	Sara Klimoska, Natalija Teodosieva, Kamka Tocinovski, Nenad Nacev, Nikola Risteski, Petar Caranovic
Cinematography	Tamás Dobos
Edited by	Nicolas Gaster
Music by	Kiril Dzajkovski
Release date	19 October 2019 (2019-10-19)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	North Macedonia
Language	Macedonian

(WAMC’s Audrey Kupferberg )

“One of those films that feels casual when you watch it, but digs deep and remains, both poignant and profound. Appealing storytelling … Extraordinarily affecting.”

(Screen International)

“Subtle, profound…Three stories of Macedonian motherhood echo across eras in Milcho Manchevski powerful, evocative, beautifully played drama.“

(Variety)

“The complexity of this apparently simple film is how one story flows into the next, illuminating it in unexpected ways… Superbly atmospheric camerawork and a confident command of the camera … Dazzling …Sensual.“

(Hollywood Reporter)

“Manchevski masterfully weaves the threads of the three stories together… Visually, this is a lush film.”

(Cineuropa)

“A multi-layered fictional exploration of fertility and infertility… Haunting and at times heartrending, Willow is exactly the kind of filmic poetry we can expect from Golden Lion winner and Academy Award nominee Milcho Manchevski.”

(Dan MacCannell)

“Magical vision of the past whose fragments remain entangled in the present. An expert eye for photography.”

(Il Manifesto)

“A beautiful, poetic, thought-provoking film. The delicate narrative structure and profound motifs touch the audience’s souls.“

(You-chien Huang)

Plot

Three women – one medieval, two contemporary – struggle to become mothers. They have not set out to change the world or society, but their struggles with tradition, loyalty, adoption and control over their bodies make them unlikely heroines.

Cast

• Sara Klimoska as Donka
• Natalija Teodosieva as Rodna
• Kamka Tocinovski as Katerina
• NIkola Risteski as Milan
• Petar Caranovic as Kire
• Nenad Nacev as Branko
• Ratka Radmanovic as Grandma Srebra
• Petar Mircevski as Stavre
• Blagoj Chorevski as Mancho
• Laze Manaskovski as Father Avram

Awards

• Raindance - Best Director, 2020
• Fantasporto - Manuel De Oliveira Award, 2020[2]
• Wellington Independent Film Festival - Best Feature Film, 2020[3]
• Cinequest - Best Narrative Feature Film, 2020
• Mostra de Valencia - Silver Palm, 2020
• Stony Brook Film Festival - Jury Award Best Feature, 2021

See also

• List of submissions to the 93rd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
• List of Macedonian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

References

External links

• Willow at IMDb
• Willow Official YouTube Channel
• Willow Official Vimeo Channel
• Milcho Manchevski Official Website

Reviews

• Hollywood Reporter
• Screen International
• Deadline
• Variety: ‘Willow’ Review: Subtle, Profound Portrait of Longed-For Motherhood, Raised To The Power Of Three
• Cineuropa: Review
• Variety: Kino Lorber Acquires Raindance Prize-Winning Macedonian Film ‘Willow’

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