When Father Was Away on Business

When Father Was Away on Business

1985
★★★★☆ 7.3/10
⏱️ 136 minutes
📅 Released
🌐 SH
Drama
Tito's break-up with Stalin in 1948 marked the beginning of not only confusing, but also very dangerous, years for many hard-core Yugoslav communists. A careless remark about the newspaper cartoon is enough for Mesha to join many arrested unfortunates. His family is now forced to cope with the situation and wait for his release from prison.

Cast

Moreno de Bartoli
Moreno de Bartoli
Malik
Predrag 'Miki' Manojlović
Predrag 'Miki' Manojlović
Mehmed 'Meša' Zolj, otac
Mirjana Karanović
Mirjana Karanović
Senija 'Sena' Zolj, majka
Mustafa Nadarević
Mustafa Nadarević
Zijah 'Zijo' Zulfikarpašić
Mira Furlan
Mira Furlan
Ankica Vidmar
Predrag Laković
Predrag Laković
Kućepazitelj Franjo

User Reviews

deepkino
★ 7/10
Emir Kusturica's When Father Was Away on Business is a courageous, funny, and deeply moving film that blends comedy, family drama, and political realism. The title refers to the lie a family tells a six-year-old boy to explain his father's imprisonment in a labor camp for a thoughtless remark that offended Communist officials. It won the Palme d'Or at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.
September 17, 2025

Crew

Director
Emir Kusturica
Writer
Abdulah Sidran
Producer
Mirza Pašić

Production

Forum Sarajevo, Centar film, Sutjeska Film

Keywords

muslimyugoslavialoss of loved onedifficult childhoodcircumcisionanti-communismcommunism1950s