Though set in the particularized political and social climate of post WWII Macedonia--then Yugoslavia--the themes of Ivo Trajkov's affecting drama are timeless. Set in 1945 in a Communist orphanage for the children of ideological dissenters, and based on the popular book by Macedonian author Zhivko Chingo, this is the story of a youthful friendship torn by the tides of political turbulence. Elderly politician Lem Nikodinoski (Saso Kekenovski) flashes back on his childhood from his deathbed, remembering his experiences as a 12-year-old orphan subjected to inhuman brutalities in the name of party training. Lonely and scared, Lem admires Isak (Maja Stankovska), the strange boy who arrived at the orphanage soon after he did, who wields odd power over everyone he encounters. Eventually Lem earns Isak's hard-won friendship, and the two become the sole holdouts of individuality and rebellion, opposing the party's enforced subjection to dogma, and the sadistic methods it employs. They become blood brothers in an environment where individual relationships are considered subversive, which causes them to suffer greatly for their ideals and each other. Ultimately the party's corruption finds its mirror in a betrayal that disrupts the foundation of the boys' relationship, and leaves Lem with a burden he will carry for the rest of his life. The film achieves a haunting atmosphere through use of a color scheme whose changes signal shifts back and forth through time, and the ghost of Lem's future is ever present at the fringe of the action. The innocence lost with the boyhood friendship is palpable, and the guilt, regret, and cynicism of the elderly Lem is comparable to the lost innocence of the Communist party's descent into totalitarianism under President Tito.

In Theaters: JUNE 17, 2005 (NY)

DVD Features:

Dual Disc
Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - Macedonian
Subtitles - English, French - optional
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - unspecified
Bonus Trailers
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Text/Photo Galleries:
Photo Stills

Saso Kekenovski: Actor, GREAT WATER (2005)
Maja Stankovska: Actor, THE GREAT WATER (2005)
Mitko Apostoloski: Actor, THE GREAT WATER (2005)
Nikolina Kujaca: 
Olivera Nedeska: Actor, THE GREAT WATER (2005)

Ivo Trajkov: Director, THE GREAT WATER (2005)

Suki Medencevic: CINEMATOGRAPHER

Vladimir Blazeveski: Screenwriter, THE GREAT WATER (2005)

Kiril Dzajkovski: Composer, THE GREAT WATER (2005)

"[A]nguished..."