Polazak

Directed by Goran Stanković

In a Serbian village on the slopes of Stara Planina live 15 households. The youngest man in the village is 70 years old. The film gathers the intimate thoughts of the inhabitants of this village, whose wait for death is marked not by loneliness but by a common bond. The reduced nature of their daily life speaks not of poverty but of a spiritual wealth. Though without heirs or much of a future, they are not crushed by their solitude, but thankful for the life given to them. By observing their life, which is focused on the details of daily tasks, through deliberate movement and silent gestures, we discover people in harmony with the cycles of nature. In presenting their most intimate reflections on isolation, wilderness, life, love, this film is a testament of their preparations for their journey.