Spring Cleaning
Date:
December 15, 2022
Spring Cleaning
Spring Cleaning
by Marija Apcevska
Kino Oko | Macedonia
Fiction | 1st feature
Logline
The prodigal daughter comes back to the hometown, because of her mother’s suicide. But it seems like the mother came back from the after-life as well, in order to teach her some lessons.
Synopsis
At the beginning of an unruly summer, a prodigal daughter returns home, for the first time in years. Varava is a prison inmate still serving time abroad and the reason for her temporary release is the suicide of her mother Vera. Varava needs to sign some papers and to face the consequences of her mother’s choice, all at the same time while peculiar events start revolving around the house. At first there is a cup of warm coffee waiting for her, then a settled bed. The household is maintained perfectly each time Varava is out, as if someone is trying to give her housekeeping lessons. But the one thing more improbable then Vera returning as a ghost, is her being a ghost that cleans the house. The family dismisses the situation, just as they did with both Vera’s and Varava’s behavior. Dwelling between reality and mystery, Varava tries to find out the truth. The path leads her through corrupt police, religious restraints, secrets and back to family. The deeper Varava goes, the more she wants to meet the ghost and reinstate memories she once lost.
Director’s Profile
Marija Apcevska holds BA in Directing from FDA, Skopje and MA in Film and Media Production, NYFA, Los Angeles. She is a Sarajevo Talent Campus and Berlinale Talents alumni. Her shorts have traveled to festivals worldwide and won many awards. Bardo premiered at Berlinale Generation and North Pole was part of Cannes Official Short Film Selection 2021, to date traveling to more than one hundred festivals. In addition, she is the creator of the children’s TV series Zoki Poki, the only TV series from North Macedonia broadcasted in almost all Nordic countries. Currently she is finishing Belles, a short documentary film, co-writing After Dark, a feature film produced by Origine Films (FR) and developing her first feature, Spring Cleaning. Spring Cleaning has been selected for development and presentation at WEME CO-Pro Forum 2023, Sam Spiegel International Film Lab 2022, Cinemed From Short to Long 2021- Moulin d’Andé residency winner, Cannes Focus COPRO 2021 and LIM Less is More 2021.
Company Profile
Kino Oko is a production company based in Skopje, North Macedonia. It was founded by Robert Naskov, a producer, in 2001 as an independent production company specialized in film and television production, documentaries and commercials. Kino Oko has cooperated with production companies from Europe and the world and has a well-established reputation. Thanks to the versatile profile it is in position to act as a service-production company and a co-producer for European co-productions.
Human Zoo (2008), feature film, directed by Rie Rasmussen
The Third Half (2013), feature film directed by Darko Mitrevski
Balkan Is Not Dead (2014), feature film directed by Aleksandar Popovski
Siska Deluxe (2015), feature film directed by Jan Cvitković
The Liberation of Skopje (2016), feature film directed by Rade and Danilo Sherbedzija
Slovenia, Australia and Tomorrow the World (2017), feature film directed by Marko Nabershnik
In Treatment (2017), TV series directed by Vardan Tozija, Production Kino Oko
Le Milieu de l’ Horizon, (2019), feature film directed by Delphine Lehericey
SK2020 (2019), short feature film directed by Radovan Petrovic, Production Kino Oko
Zoki Poki (2020), TV series directed by Aleksandar Popovski and Marija Apcevska
Tina’s Problem (2021), short feature, director Radovan Petrović
North Pole (2021), short feature, director Marija Apcevska