Constitution (Ustav Republike Hrvatske)
Hrvatska Radiotelevizija (HRT) (2016)
Drama, Queer Themes/Interest
Not In Collection
#1601
8*
Seen ItYes
(3/24/2019 Dekkoo)
IMDB   7.6
93 mins Croatia / Croatian
Dekkoo 
Nebojsa Glogovac Vjeko Kralj
Dejan Acimovic Ante Samardzic
Ksenija Marinkovic Maja Samardzic
Bozidar Smiljanic Hrvoje Kralj
Mladen Hren Ivan Stazic
Matija Cigir Bobanovic
Zdenko Jelcic Pater Tomislav
Robert Ugrina Damir Pivac
Zeljko Königsknecht Miroslav Plese
Jelena Jovanova Policajka
Berislav Tomicic Policajac #1
Rudi Pavlovic Policajac #2
Radomir Saraden Trovac pasa
Luka Dragic Jozo Slokovic
Daria Lorenci Socijalna radnica
Zeljko Duvnjak Barmen
Stanislav Kovacic Bobo
Nina Rakovec Konobarica
Zoran Pusic Himself
Tomislav Klicko Himself
Cedo Prodanovic Himself
Jadranka Matkovic
Director
Rajko Grlic
Producer Sam Taylor
Mike Downey
Writer/Composer Rajko Grlic
Ante Tomic
Cinematography Branko Linta
Music Duke Bojadziev


The story follows four people who live in the same building, but avoid each other because of the differences in their assets, sexual habits, nationality and religion. On one floor in a very spacious apartment lives Vjeko Kralj, a 60-something, a somewhat affluent Croatian schoolteacher. By day he leads a highly disciplined life between teaching and caring for his elderly senile father. At night he dons women’s clothing and hits the local bars. Downstairs in a very cramped small apartment lives Maja Samardzic (a middle-aged nurse with her policeman husband who struggle to make ends meet each week. He is of Serbian heritage who, however, fought with the Croats during their ethnic wars. Their paths never cross with the teacher until one night Vjeko is brutally attacked by a bunch of homophobic thugs, and he is brought into the hospital where Maja is on duty. Now that Vjeko is temporary unable to be his father’s caregiver Maja takes over the role, and in return she asks that Vjeko help her dyslexic husband study for a exam on the Croatian Constitution that he needs to pass to be promoted to Sergeant. The two men do not get along well at all as asides from their different social backgrounds, the policeman is Serbian whilst Vjeko is a Croat, and there is still no love lost between these two [adapted from QueerGuru]
Edition Details
Original Title Ustav Republike Hrvatske (Constitution of the Republic of Croatia)
Distributor Dekkoo
No. of Discs/Tapes 1
References
Streaming, VoD Dekkoo
QueerGuru Rating 7

Notes
I was much surprised by this film. I watched it on Dekkoo, whose catelog in my few is dominated by grade C films. I did not expect much. I also know little about the history of Serbia and Croatia. It took me a while to figure out the interpersonal dynamics. Bur the acting is superb. The story has twists that kept my interest. Well worth watching.