PODCAST |Angelo Acerbi interviews Stefan Arsenijevic, director of the film As Far As I Can Walk.
Stefan Arsenijevic gives us with his As Far As I Can Walk a lesson on how one can rielaborate and refresh both the narrative of a love story and of the refugees crisis issue at the same time. Based on a traditional Serbian poem, the film translates it into the world of a couple of economic migrants from Ghana who find themselves in the complex and bureaucratic mechanism of international refugees visas. Stefan tells us he approached this story and why he chose to use the traditional poem to tell it.
As Far As I Can Walk : Strahinja and his wife, Ababuo, left Ghana at the beginning of the migrant crisis. They managed to reach Germany but were deported back to Belgrade. Strahinja works hard to secure asylum. The process, however, is lengthy and Ababuo, a passionate woman aspiring to become an actress in London, feels unfulfilled in their life. One night, a new group of Syrian refugees arrive, one of them is Ali, a charismatic left-wing activist. Ababuo the very next day, leaves Serbia with him, providing no explanation. Strahinja sets off along the Balkan migrant route for completely different reasons than anyone else: for love. Based on a true story, As Far as I Can Walk was awarded Best Film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2021.