66th THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
31 OCTOBER → 9 NOVEMBER 2025
Balkan Survey: Main Program

Serbia, Luxembourg, France, Bulgaria, Lithuania 2021 92 DCP Color
Strahinya and his wife, Ababuo, both 28 years old, left Ghana at the beginning of the migrant crisis. They managed to reach Germany but were deported back to Belgrade. Strahinya does his best to start a new life in this city. He works hard to secure asylum, trying out as a football player for a local club and working as a volunteer for the Red Cross. The process, however, is lengthy and Ababuo, a passionate woman aspiring to become an actress in London, feels unfulfilled in their life. One night, a new group of Syrian refugees arrive, on their way to Western Europe. One of them is Ali, a charismatic left-wing activist. Ababuo initially mocks him, but, the very next day, leaves Serbia with him, providing no explanation. Strahinya sets off along the Balkan migrant route for completely different reasons than anyone else: for love. A reimagining of the medieval Serbian epic poem "Banovich Strahinya" in which contemporary African migrants take the place of Serbian national heroes. Urgent and timeless at the same time, this adaptation raises questions about identity, tradition, race, and love.
