Before the Rain (1994) was the first feature made in the newly declared republic of Macedonia, part of the former Yugoslavia. It was also the first Macedonian film to be nominated for an Oscar.
Director and writer Milcho Manchevski compared the circular dramatic structure of Before the Rain (1994) to Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher's drawings and called it "an optical illusion in time."
The New York Times writers Vincent Canby and Janet Maslin included Before the Rain (1994) in their book 'The New York Times Guide to the Best 1000 Movies Ever Made' published in 1999.
Many viewers are taken by the "optical illusion in time." Before the Rain appears to have a circular nature, with Part 2 chronologically first, followed by parts 3 and 1. But, on closer inspection, some events from Part 1 precede events in Part 2 (in her London office, Ann looks at photographs of Zamira's death). This playful aspect of the film was meticulously and intentionally developed in the script. It reflects on the film motto: The Circle Is Not Round.
When Alexander shows the photos of the prisoner being shot and killed in Bosnia, the prisoner in those photos is writer/director Milcho Manchevski himself.