Skip to main content
78 Days film image; woman fixing a girl's hair in the dark

North American Premiere

Emilija Gašić makes a vibrant debut with this endearing dramedy following three teenage sisters coming of age in the late 90s Serbian countryside while the war rages in the background. As their father leaves for the front line, another young family arrives next door, adding to their little clique and setting the stage for exciting hangouts, new friendships, and first crushes.

Flirting with docu-fiction (the girls record home videos for their dad), Gašić expertly employs found footage techniques to capture the delightful cacophony of girlie mischief and teenage highs and lows in all their messy, hormonal glory; sibling rivalries, the occasional verbal sting, or a prank taken too far… Yet despite all the mirth, the film never loses sight of the threat looming over them. Tonally and stylistically on point, this is an astute snapshot of a lovable family trying to keep its footing during a volatile time.

 

Supported by

Media Partner

Director
Cast

Viktorija Vasiljević, Milica Gicić, Tamara Gajović, Pavle Čemerikić, Jelena Djokić, Goran Bogdan

Credits
Country of Origin

Serbia

Year

2024

Language

In Serbian with English subtitles

Film Contact
Links
18+
82 min
Comedy Drama Family Relations Women Directors
Set Sail Films

Book Tickets

Thursday October 03

8:30 pm
Hearing Assistance Subtitles
VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre
Book Now

Saturday October 05

1:30 pm
Hearing Assistance Subtitles
The Cinematheque
Book Now

Credits & Director

Producer

Andrijana Sofranić Šućur, Miloš Ivanović, Djordje Ćirić

Screenwriter

Emilija Gašić

Cinematography

Inés Gowland

Editor

Jovana Filipović

Production Design

Maja Đuričić

Emilija Gašić headshot; 78 Days director

Emilija Gašić

Emilija Gašić is an award-winning Serbian filmmaker based in New York City. She graduated with an MFA in Cinematography from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Emilija grew up in a small town in Yugoslavia against a background of news reports on war, a dying country, and a sense of uncertainty which deeply affected her sensibility in arts and formed her observant style in creating tension and atmosphere. Her films have been screened at renowned festivals such as Columbus International Film & Animation Festival, Maryland Film Festival, and the Oscar-qualifying Izmir Kisa Film Festival. Emilija developed her debut feature 78 Days at Venice Biennale College of Cinema 2020. In 2021, she co-wrote Mileva alongside Nicola Lanthier-Rogers, which was recognized with the Production Honorable Mention Award by the Sloan Foundation. She co-founded Istok Films with Alex Wiske and has shot numerous films internationally as a cinematographer, receiving a Nikon Storytellers Award.

Vanguard

See more films in this series

Hanami

Dir. Denise Fernandes
96 min

Set on a remote volcanic island in Cape Verde, this mesmerizing, lyrical feature debut traces a young woman’s journey into adulthood, guided by the community of women that surround her in the absence of her mother.

VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre The Cinematheque

Toxic

Dir. Saulė Bliuvaitė
99 min

Eager to fit in and impress her new best friend, 13-year-old Marija reluctantly joins a shady modeling school that drives girls to dangerous extremes as they try to fit an unattainable mold and pursue the promise of a glamorous life overseas.

The Cinematheque VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre

I Saw Three Black Lights

Dir. Santiago Lozano Álvarez
87 min

In this quietly profound drama, a wise old shaman embarks on a final journey into the Colombian jungle to settle a spiritual debt and reconnect with his late son. A cinematic love letter to ancient traditions, steeped in the lush, immersive rainforest.

VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre

Red Path

Dir. Lotfi Achour
97 min

Inspired by recent terrorist atrocities in the Mghila Mountains of Northwest Tunisia, this chilling drama centers on Achraf, a 13-year-old boy who witnesses the brutal killing of his cousin and is forced to relay the message to the victim’s family.

VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre The Cinematheque

Me, Maryam, the Children and 26 Others

Dir. Farshad Hashemi
101 min

When a woman decides to rent her home for a film shoot, she’s not prepared for the intrusion she’ll experience by having the film crew in her space. But as the production ramps up and she finds herself immersed in the work, lines begin to blur...

VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre The Cinematheque

Shambhala

Dir. Min Bahadur Bham
150 min

At once a love story, a tale of empowerment and an ethnographic record, this captivating drama follows pregnant Pema on a strenuous journey across the Himalayas to clear her name when her child’s paternity is questioned.

VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre Fifth Avenue Aud 3

78 Days

Dir. Emilija Gašić
82 min

Set in the late 90s war-afflicted Serbian countryside, this vibrant dramedy follows three sisters coming of age while their father has been sent to the front line. Recording videos for their dad, the girls nevertheless get up to all kinds of mischief.

VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre The Cinematheque
Familiar Touch
Familiar Touch film image; hands wrapping around someone to hug them

Familiar Touch

Dir. Sarah Friedland
90 min

Sarah Friedland makes an elegant debut with this restrained drama about an elderly woman’s transition to a care home. Kathleen Chalfant commands the screen with absolute poise in her thoughtful portrait of a woman trying to hold on to her dignity.

VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre The Cinematheque