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85 min. Bosnian.

The budgerigar flits through the flat and Nada dyes her hair while watching a music video; her small daughter plays around with liquids among the unwashed dishes whilst balancing dangerously on a kitchen stool. Then the fridge breaks down. Thankfully, the television still has a hypnotic effect. At first glance, this is all just the chaotic daily life of a young single mother. But Nada’s daughter Hava has been diagnosed with a form of autism – an additional challenge that leads to absurd situations with the authorities and the two-tier health system. No wonder Nada wants to escape Sarajevo. So the mother and daughter set off in a clapped out old Yugo for an adventure in the Bosnian countryside. The camera calms down in the foggy, rainy landscape. In this film, it takes on the role of an ally for the pair, who otherwise have no one. It both imbues the film with Hava’s intensity before coming to its senses again and maintaining an overview of Nada Kadic’s chaotic, yet undaunted life in her small apartment. (Anna Hoffmann)

Marta Hernaiz was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1988. In 2012, she completed a degree in Film Studies from the Centro de Diseño Cine y Televisión in Mexico City, where her graduation project was the short film Pollito Chicken, Gallina Hen. In 2015, she earned a master’s degree in Film from the Film.factory / Sarajevo Film Academy, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Marta Hernaiz works as a cinematographer and producer. Kaotični život Nade Kadić is her first full-length feature film.

A labyrinthine journey with a way out

"There is no need to go somewhere to find ourselves lost"

In this world of Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, advertisements and TV programmes, I find myself completely lost. I have lost my sense of images and what their purpose is.
It seems it would be better to remain silent or even try to disconnect ourselves. I have an information overload that makes me dizzy and pulls me back from reality. Thus, like one of my characters, sometimes I feel that I have some grade of autism spectrum disorder.
For almost three years I lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a very different place from my homeland, México, where I have started a process of reflection and change. I could say my stay in Sarajevo has been a rite of passage in my education as a filmmaker; it has given me a new perspective on life. Now, through this new outlook, I am interested in portraying the reality I find myself in. This is why, with KAOTIČNI ŽIVOT NADE KADIĆ, I want to play along the border between fiction and documentary, creating a solid structure based not only on my personal experience, but mixing my actresses’ lives with the moments that we encounter on our way. All films are fiction and documentary at the same time, however I want to explore this concept with KAOTIČNI ŽIVOT NADE KADIĆ and discover what it has to offer. Joining these characteristics, I want to create a universe with its own traits. Through montage, mise-en-scène and a touch of humour, I want to describe this ‘small chaos’ that we create many times in our daily lives and how we deal with it, since daily life is how we forge our destiny.
Hava is the autistic child of my main character and she loves to spin around in circles for fun until she is dizzy and lightheaded. This reminds me of labyrinths, which change our minds through repetition, crossroads, turns, doubting and confusion. In labyrinths, you get lost to find yourself. KAOTIČNI ŽIVOT NADE KADIĆ aspires to be a labyrinthine journey where the main characters find their own way out. (Marta Hernaiz)

Production Marta Hernaiz, Jorge Bolado, Alen Ljubuncic. Production companies Cine Vendaval (Mexico City, Mexico), Jorge Bolado (Mexico City, Mexico). Director Marta Hernaiz. Screenplay Marta Hernaiz. Director of photography Jorge Bolado. Editing Marta Hernaiz in collaboration with Mariana Rodríguez. Music Jorge Bolado. Sound design Jorge Bolado. Sound Daniel Loustaunau. With Aida Hadžibegović (Nada), Hava Đombić (Hava).

Films

2012: Pollito Chicken, Gallina Hen (15 min.). 2015: The Empty Nest (35 min.). 2016: Dobro (15 min.). 2018: Kaotični život Nade Kadić / The Chaotic Life of Nada Kadić.

Photo: © Jorge Bolado

Funded by:

  • Logo Minister of State for Culture and the Media
  • Logo des Programms NeuStart Kultur