Film "Samoća" (Lonely), based on the screenplay and short story by Miro Gavran, at the 20th edition of ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival 2025 in Paris

The short film Samoća (Lonely) has been selected for the competition program of the 20th edition of the prestigious ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival 2025, to be held in Paris. The film’s author and screenwriter is Miro Gavran, while the director and producer is Bobby Boško Grubić, a three-time Emmy Award winner. The leading roles are played by Sven Jakir and Duško Valentić, for whom this is also his final film role.

The film will be presented in the European Dramatic Short category as the only representative of Croatian cinema in that section. Based on Miro Gavran’s short story "U zagrljaju rijeke" ("Embrace of the River"), Samoća delivers an emotional story about loneliness, the need for closeness, and understanding.

Miro Gavran stated that he is especially pleased to see a story addressing some of today's most pressing issues adapted into a film: "I wrote the short story about loneliness deeply convinced that loneliness is the most important theme of our time, especially in Western society."

Director Grubić emphasized that the adaptation and production process took three months during the summer of 2023, with filming completed at the end of that year. The film was shot on location in Međimurje, including the County Hospital in Čakovec, the city park, and the banks of the Mura River.

The film's production was carried out by Croatia’s MAG produkcija and the minority co-producer Artonix Studios from the United States, with postproduction handled by The Platform Group in Los Angeles and Longplay Studio in Zagreb.

The world premiere of Samoća will take place on May 10 at 8 PM at Le Balzac cinema in Paris, with the award ceremony scheduled for May 11.