When Father Was Away on Business
Overview
In a post-WWII Yugoslavia still under Stalinist rule in the 1950s, six-year-old Malik is oblivious as to why his father, Mehmed, has suddenly disappeared. In truth, Mehmed has been sent to a labor camp as punishment for acts of sexual indiscretion involving young girls. Malik's mother, Senija, however, has no answers, and the family must cope in the father's absence.
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Cast
Moreno de Bartoli
Malik
Predrag 'Miki' Manojlović
Mehmed 'Meša' Zolj, otac
Mirjana Karanović
Senija 'Sena' Zolj, majka
Mustafa Nadarević
Zijah 'Zijo' Zulfikarpašić
Mira Furlan
Ankica Vidmar
Predrag Laković
Kućepazitelj Franjo
Pavle Vuisić
Muzafer Zulfikarpašić, dedo
Slobodan Aligrudić
Ostoja Cekić
Eva Ras
Ilonka Petrović
Aco Gjorčev
Dr. Jevgeni Ljahov
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Reviews(1)
deepkino
September 17, 2025
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 o…
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