Written and directed by Thea Gajic, years after fleeing military conscription during the Yugoslav conflict, Vlad is building a community in Bristol, working as a drugs counsellor and pursuing success with his riotous Balkan band. But integration isn’t as easy as he hoped, and the trauma of his past life is difficult to repress. Can he overcome his demons and create a new life for those he loves the most? Starring: Slavko Sobin, Olive Gray, Ann Ogbomo, Arthur McBain, Brian Bogdanovic, Natalie Dunne, Rosa Escoda, Toni Gojanović and Stuart Martin.
The cinematography work from Olan Collardy (who also served as cinematographer on Rye Lane) and the colouring of Surviving Earth makes a distinct and intriguing impression. The sharpness and richness of the aesthetic is incredibly inviting, as well as creating the perfect space for the emotional nature of the film. Impressively, those qualities are consistent all throughout, that high quality never wavers. It’s an ideal match for the complex atmosphere which Thea Gajic creates.
With Surviving Earth Gajic builds a considerate, compelling portrayal of addiction. Sidestepping the usual highs and lows in favour of a more relatable, everyday perspective of someone in recovery. The creation of Vlad (Slavko Sobin) involves a highly purposeful balance, he’s abrasive and self-destructive but also passionate and caring. Gajic demonstrates how his personality changes when under the influence of substances, and how struggles in his daily life upset the delicate balance of sobriety. Instead of being outwardly messy and chaotic, the style acknowledges that those qualities are a part of his life, without needing to give them the spotlight, creating a surprisingly earnest, graceful portrayal.
One element which Surviving Earth does particularly well is the relationship between Vlad and high daughter Maria (Olive Gray). It’s not all screaming matches and resentment, there’s a genuine attempt to rebuild their relationship, and doing their best to move forward, while demonstrating how his addiction has made that difficult. It’s one of many ways that the film seeks to show the importance of recognising behaviours and spending time making better choices to make amends rather than simply constantly apologising for the past.
Slavko Sobin leads the way navigating through all of that complicated territory with a tumultuous yet charming performance. He captures all of the destructive, sabotaging behaviours to Vlad but also his love of his family, and his community, and his generous nature. Being able to portray that balance is a big part of why his performance is so moving, making you see what he’s capable of, which makes it harder to watch as he falls back into old habits. Olive Gray brings a great gentleness and sweetness to the mix, doubling down on making it difficult to watch when Vlad lets her down, seeing her hope fade away. There’s then a strong ensemble behind them, particularly those who play Vlad’s friends, forever trying to steer him in the right direction, no matter how hard he pushes them away.
Surviving Earth is stunningly shot, the cinematography is genuinely terrific work which establishes the perfect environment for this film to unfold. Thea Gajic manages to create a humble portrait of addiction, which is interweaved with themes of being an immigrant, past trauma and family. Gajic doesn’t get lost in the scandal or volatility of drug use, instead focusing on the everyday experience to create something earnest and moving. A quality which is perfectly matched by the superb performance from Slavko Sobin.
FilmCarnage.com 