Set in the rugged mountains of North Macedonia, this is a touching coming of age drama. Ahmet (Arif Jakup), only 15 yet already weatherbeaten, has to leave school to look after the family’s sheep – to treat them as though they were his own children. Life is hard, his little brother hasn’t spoken since their mother died.  However, there is more than sheep in these mountains and he can’t keep his eyes off his neighbour Aya (Dora Akan Zlatanova), the worldy wise returnee from Germany whose hand has been promised to an older man in the village. 

Following her late one night, he and his flock stumble across a clandestine rave. The bleating and the beat soon goes viral, making him a minor local celebrity. Realising Aya’s love of dancing, he rigs up speakers to his tractor, to the disapproval of his father who fears ridicule in the local community. Emphasising the cultural contrasts, there is a rich soundtrack, mixing English language music with rhythms local to the region. Jakup and Zlatanova (both non professional actors) give warm natural performances, he’s shy yet beaming and she’s sophisticated.

This is a warm, humane film, where youthful passion meets a conservative patriarchal society dominated by convention and set roles: the father struggling to express any emotion following the death of his wife, the young girl facing an arranged marriage to a man she despises.

“Revelling in bright fabrics and seductive horizons, the director, despite all the conflicts, is here to argue for both the warmth of traditional families and the excitement of contemporary youth culture.” Donald Clarke, Irish Times

“Using an almost documentary style, writer-director Georgi Unkovski makes witty observations at every turn, filling the story with terrific sequences that ripple with personality, culture and artistic expression.” Richard Cline, Shadows on the Wall