Céline Roustan
As a couple drive to a getaway in the mountains, trapped in their car, they encounter communication issues as she wants to talk about their relationship and her feelings, while he is totally focused on getting to their destination. S/W alum Lee Filipovski (Flafi) is back on the website with Nula (Zero), a simple yet deadly effective slice of life, which perfectly captures those conversations that are kinda fights, but not really.
Zero is one of those films that remind me that sometimes a very simple premise can be deeply poignant, as long as the screenplay and performances feel authentic, thus making the film relatable for the audience. For Filipovski there was certainly a personal angle to her narrative, as she reveals that is was “born from my desperate attempt to understand what is wrong with communication between me and my then partner”. Shot during Covid, from a production standpoint, they obviously had their hands tied and opted for a single location, inside the car. These limitations ended up being the ideal complement to the screenplay, as being trapped in the vehicle offers a fly on the wall perspective, immersing the audience in the situation, alongside the couple.
The screenplay actually started as a conversation Filipovski wrote between a couple “as a form of therapy” for herself. It was only after she read it to her friends that she realized how universal that experience actually is. However, this disconnect and miscommunication has two sides and putting it on paper put that into perspective for the filmmaker. As she explains: “what started as personal therapy became a short film that everyone can find themselves in, and maybe learn a thing or two about interpersonal relationships and improve them. Or not.”
Hana Selimović stars as Ona, a woman frustrated by her partner’s lack of communication.
We all know how paramount (good) communication is when it comes to relationships. That means speaking, hearing and listening. Sometimes, there is a disconnect and to be able to address it both parties need to lean into that conversation willingly… or not! In Zero, the couple are driving, alone inside that car and there has clearly been tension. What better way to clear the air than doing it when no one can escape? Neither can the audience! We are on this road trip with them, and unable to look away. During the runtime of the film, we see the tension organically growing and since the faces of the protagonists occupy most of the frame, we get to see that much more is being said than the words spoken out loud.
As is usually the case with films that have a similar format, it is down to the performances to bring the subtle nuances of the screenplay to the screen. Hana Selimović and Neven Bujić share an incredible chemistry, just by their presence in the frame, they convey the dynamic of their couple without a single word. Instead of having a conventional exposition, allowing us to get to know the pair, bits and pieces are said during their conversations revealing more and more about their relationship. Quickly, we get to issue though, and we can see how she is desperately trying to voice how she feels and how unresponsive he is. Watching them is instantly fascinating, seeing how they play off of one another and Filipovski wraps the film cleverly with something that can also be seen as a metaphor that echoes throughout the film.
Zero had its world premiere at the 2021 edition of TIFF, and had its online premiere as a Vimeo Staff Pick. Filipovski is currently developing a TV series and a feature length film.