Milcho Manchevski was born in Macedonia (then part of Yugoslavia), and later moved to the US to study film school. One can stop here and say the rest is history.
However, there isn’t one story that’s so simple. When he came home from film school, his first movie was sabotaged and didn’t happen. So, he had to pack his bags and go back to the US. After several years, his debut film “Before the Rain,” positively shocked the world.
Here, we’ll list all Milcho Manchevski movies he made so far, starting with his best.
Before the Rain (Pred Dozdot)
Manchevski’s debut film was a masterpiece for which one paragraph isn’t enough. So, I’ll address only the crucial aspects.
“Before the Rain” is a war-drama and romance movie with a highly complex and fantastic structure. There are three interconnected stories and the plot goes back and forth in a way you have probably never seen before. This film addresses many aspects, from love and civil war to domestic and worldwide politics. When you click the link above you’ll notice that one viewer wrote “You can’t understand it before you see it.” That’s another beauty of this movie, and it’s pointless for someone to tell you the story – you should watch it yourself.
There almost isn’t an award for which the “Before the Rain” film didn’t win or was nominated. It’s the first Macedonian film nominated for an Oscar and won several awards at the Venice Film Festival, including the “Golden Lion.”
Willow (Vrba)
“Willow” is one of his newer movies, a drama that came out in 2019. Manchevski plays well with structure, once again.
Milcho often portrays women as heroines, and maybe the most in this movie. There are two contemporary and one medieval story about women who struggle to become mothers. And no, it’s not made in today’s trendy fashion way, quite the opposite. The film focuses on real struggles with tradition, adoption, pain, and life challenges.
The “Willow” movie cast includes impressive young and older actresses, including Natalija Teodosieva, Sara Klimoska, Kamka Tocinovski, Ratka Radmanovic, etc. The film had success worldwide and won several awards. Milcho also won the “Best Director” award at the Raindance Film Festival.
Mothers (Majki)
“Mothers” by Milcho Manchevski also doesn’t have a conventional story structure. There are three stories, which can also be seen separately, as short movies.
However, he connects them creating an excellent full-length film. Two stories are fiction, and one, unfortunately, really happened. Therefore, “Mothers” is both fiction and documentary. Two little girls report a flasher they never saw. Three filmmakers go to a village of only two residents, a brother and sister who don’t speak to each other. The documentary part is about real tragic events when cleaning women in pension were found raped and strangled.
It won the “European Film Committee Recommendation” award at the 2011 European Film Awards.
Dust (Prashina)
Manchevski’s second full-length film, “Dust,” came out in 2001, seven years after “Before the Rain.”
One of the main reasons it took so long was Manchevski’s artistic desire to stay true to his idea. Even Hollywood producers were interested in the script but Milcho didn’t want to change anything just to do it. Maybe the only compromise he made was considering Richard Gere for one of the main roles; the producers idea. He had to wait seven years but “Dust” happened his way. Also, Richard Gere quit anyway while Joseph Fiennes and David Wenham did an excellent acting job.
The story spans three centuries involving a 100-year-old woman and a thief, and two Wild West brothers exploring the Wild East. Even though happening in the past and the modern-day, all characters are connected.
Today, this movie’s cubism structure is considered highly important. “Dust” became recognized later on but film critics misunderstood it when it came out, so it didn’t have a lot of success at first.
Kaymak (Kajmak)
The “Kaymak” movie is Manchevki’s newest film which came out in 2022. One thing that all Milcho Manchevski movies have and most Macedonian films is sex. The same goes for this movie since it explores unconventional erotic relationships.
This comedic, dramatic, and romantic adventure has many layers. However, the most beautiful one is that it breaks taboos and tells us that sexual desire is for everyone. Beauty and attraction are different for everyone, and exploring things isn’t bad, per se.
The cast of the “Kaymak” film is excellent and the movie had good success in film festivals, among audiences, and critics. Still, there’s a mix of emotions after you watch it. On the one hand, you think it’s fantastic since you have never seen anything similar. On the other, “Kaymak” doesn’t satisfy entirely and it feels like something is missed, which is probably why it didn’t have more worldwide success.
Bikini Moon
It’s difficult to decide which Milčo Mančevski movie is most experimental, but the “Bikini Moon” movie is undoubtedly one of them. This 2017 film is so interestingly made and authentic that sometimes you don’t know whether something is fiction or a documentary.
It’s about a mentally unstable and highly charismatic veteran woman who captures a documentary film crew’s attention. Condola Rashad plays the vet, and even though Manchevski has worked with fantastic actors, Condola is maybe the best one. You rarely have the privilege of seeing such an electrifying acting performance.
“Bikini Moon” is Manchevski’s only American full-length film. You can also say that it’s his only film that doesn’t involve Macedonia or The Balkans. The film critics’ and audience reception was mixed, dividing between people loving it and others hating it.
Shadows (Senki)
Last but not least, “Shadows” is a 2007 mystery-thriller that also has elements of drama and horror. It’s also fantasy, but spiritual people may disagree. Most Milcho Manchevski movies have scary elements but “Shadows” is his only film with horror elements.
It’s about a doctor from a rich family who is confronted by people who die again and again. Still, there are many other aspects of the story, including love between the doctor and a woman who suddenly appears in his life.
The lead actors in the “Shadows” movie are Borce Nacev and Vesna Stanojevska, and both are excellent.
Final Thoughts on Milco Mancevski Movies
Manchevski is undoubtedly the best Macedonian film director so far. Many consider him one of the most experimental directors of today. Others think that he has never made a better film than his debut, “Before the Rain.”
Be as it may, Milcho Manchevski movies have had worldwide success and some of them are taught in film schools in many countries. It’s also important to mention that he directed one “The Wire” episode. “Thursday” and “The End of Time” are his best short films. You probably know the “Tennessee” song by Arrested Development; Manchevski directed the music video. We are waiting to see what he’ll direct next.
If you want to continue reading, here are all my other movie articles!
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