When Father Was Away on Business
Synopsis
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.
Principal Cast8
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
Media8
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Director
Emir Kusturica
Director →
Trailer
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Reviews1
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.
Sep 17, 2025
