“Fantasy”, interview with director Kukla

After premiering at the Locarno Film Festival and participating at the Sarajevo Film Festival, Fantasy, Kukla’s debut feature after her critically acclaimed short film “Sisters“, is in competition at the 37° Trieste Film Festival.

The film features three girls, Mihrije, Sina and Jasna, outsiders in their little world, as they don’t conform to the conservative system they’re sort of forced to live in. Their world or their perception of it, especially Mihrije’s (Sarah Al Saleh) will definitely change after they meet Fantasy, a trans woman trying to live her life at her own rules.

What is a woman?

Kukla comes from the music world as she directed many music videos in her career. The idea for Fantasy came to her 10 years ago when she was directing a music video and the protagonists were tomboy girls in grey sweats, riding motorbikes and training together. “That image of the “forgotten ones” in baggy clothes with ponytails low down by the hair line, who somehow remained prisoners of their family and their environment for not fitting the rigid rule lines of womanhood in patriarchal Balkans, got stuck in my head – writes Kukla –  and sparked a cascade of memories and visions, from sworn virgins (virdžinas), which is a big and complex part of Balkan history, to the legacy of turbo folk culture today”.

The director then discovered that, in a way, this story could also reflect her own experience growing up and living in the Balkans so that the film rapidly acquired a more universal tone becoming an exploration on ‘What is a Woman?’, ‘How is it to be a woman?’ today and here.

Psychedelic Visuals

“Fantasy” explores complex themes of gender, desire, and self-discovery within the vibrant Balkan context. The movie weaves dreamlike visuals with social realism, creating an evocative portrayal of young women’s journeys.

By blending musical influences with magical realism, “Fantasy” captures the fluidity of identity and desire, making it both a local story and a universal reflection on human vulnerability and resilience.

The creative journey of “Fantasy“ was heavily influenced by the director’s background in music videos and her admiration for cinematic traditions like magical realism and social realism. The film visually emphasizes the poetics of concrete environments while exploring the dreamlike states of its characters. This stylistic choice underscores the tension between reality and fantasy, making “Fantasy” a visually bold and emotionally compelling film that resonates with audiences worldwide.

Plot