Release Date: August 12, 2024
Runtime: 1h 13m
Genre: Drama, Psychological Thriller
Director: Iva Radivojevic
Writer: Iva Radivojevic
Production Companies: Set Sail Films, Ivaasks Films
Languages: Serbian, English
Filming Locations: Novi Sad, Serbia
Story
When the Phone Rang is a deeply introspective exploration of memory, identity, and loss. Set in post-war Serbia, the film delves into the psychological turmoil of an eleven-year-old girl, Lana, whose world is irreversibly altered by a single phone call. This seemingly ordinary event triggers a profound dislocation, erasing her sense of country, history, and identity, leaving her adrift in a reality where the past is buried in books, films, and the fragmented memories of those who lived before 1995.
As Lana attempts to piece together her lost identity, she is haunted by memories and echoes of a past she cannot fully grasp. The narrative unfolds through a series of intimate, nonlinear reconstructions of the phone call and its aftermath, revealing how deeply a single moment can resonate through time, affecting not just the individual but entire generations.
The film’s visual style is marked by a dreamlike quality, blending reality with surreal imagery as Lana navigates her fractured memories. The story is as much about the haunting absence of what was lost as it is about the search for what remains.
Plot
A moving examination of memory, identity, and how a single instant can drastically alter one’s perception of the world can be found in When the Phone Rang. The film centers on eleven-year-old Lana, whose life is irrevocably changed by an enigmatic phone call, and is set against the backdrop of the Balkan conflict. Lana’s understanding of her nation, her past, and her identity itself start to fall apart as the conversation goes on. Through a blend of surrealism and stark reality, the film reconstructs the emotional and psychological dislocation that Lana experiences, as the call seemingly erases everything she knows, hiding it away in the memories of those born before 1995. The film’s intimate portrayal of Lana’s internal struggle highlights the fragility of memory and the haunting nature of forgotten histories.
Cast
Natalija Ilincic as Lana
Anton Augustinov as Jova
Slavica Bajceta as Narrator
Danica Maksimovic as Mirjana
Dunja Vladisavljevic as Olja
Mila Drobnjak as Andrijiana
Vasilije Zecevic as Vlada
Srna Vasic as Vanja
Ivana Pancic as Secretary
Ibro Sakic as Sinisa
Ognjen Petkovic as Popovic
Tamara Babun as Slovenian voice
Vera Curcic as Duska
Nemanja Sucur as Father
Marija Stojnic as Mother
Zlata Orlovic as Woman 1
Sarita Matijevic as Woman 2
Snezana Orlovic as Woman 3