Certificate of Life
Date:
January 15, 2023
Certificate of Life
Logline
When Vera, an elderly widow, is wrongly pronounced dead by the city administration, she must prove her own existence so she can organize the traditional family dinner for Easter, the holiday celebrating Resurrection.
Synopsis
Vera, the 75 years old widow, living in a small town, is wrongly pronounced dead by the city administration. She struggles to prove that she is really alive so she can continue receiving her monthly pension, needed to host the traditional family gathering for Easter, the most important Orthodox holiday that celebrates the Resurrection. But her struggle with the bureaucratic system is actually an existential storm, caused by the loss of her husband, the fear of loneliness, and the need
to still be an important person for her family. In the eyes of the holiday, she fears that loneliness may become a new reality for her when she has no one to break a red Easter egg with. Based on a true story.
Author’s Note
Being born in North Macedonia, I have constantly been surrounded by numerous absurd life stories about people being stuck in the bureaucratic labyrinth.
One particular story from my hometown stuck with me: an elderly woman spent months tirelessly trying to prove her existence at the city offices. Motivated to address this experience, together with Jakov Poposki, we wrote this script in the hope of being her voice and to explore the meaning of human existence in the late stages of life. Focusing on Vera’s fear of loneliness and grief, we wanted to show the struggle of the older generations and their sense of being and contributing to this world.
The visual approach will emphasize the realism behind this narrative. The local authentic aesthetic of my hometown Shtip will contribute to the film’s key message, that human existence is much more than a piece of paper.
Company Profile
Minimal Collective is a film production company focused on production of films that appeal to an international audience. It was established in 2019 in Skopje, North Macedonia, by the producer Ivana Shekutkoska. It’s dedicated to making short, feature and documentary films.
Current and recent film projects include, the short films: Certificate of Life by Sandra Gjorgieva, Are You a Man by Gjorce Stavreski and The Ordinary Eli by Lavinija Sofronievska.
Minimal Collective debuted co-producing the documentary film The Soil and the Wings, directed by Stefan Malesevic, developed at IDFA Project Space and is coproducing the short film Summer by Nevena Desivojevikj. Currently it’s in early development for the first feature film by the production company.