A stark, raw portrayal of a tumultuous 24-hour period that throws a small family’s life into disarray. Damir, a man with mental health weakened by depression, tries to commit suicide. His brother (portrayed by the director, in what is an autobiographical work) and mother try to tether him to life, but the systemic protocols Damir is placed in, sterile, impersonal, and devoid of empathy, underline the lack of truly safe spaces.
Damir wants to die; his family (mother and brother) wants him to live. The twenty-four hours of Safe Place are like a race against time – a dazzling reflection of an inevitable tragedy that weighs on every moment of a film seeking protection and security from it. A story thus escapes from control, fleeing from the hands of family members who try to bring back to life someone who seems to have already left it. Inspired by a true story, Juraj Lerotic’s first feature film is a dazzling object about a family nucleus and our fragile connection to what keeps us alive. (Francisco Valente)
