Nina

Thoughtful and thought-provoking Slovenian film selected for screening at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival. It's a fine character study of a 12-year old girl in the middle of her working-class parents' contentious, very bitter divorce- she's torn between them. Nina is bright, technologically savvy (e.g., in the use of her cell phone) and has many interests, including swimming, her chief mode of self-expression and escape. I found it absorbing. The sub-titles are well done, I ceased noticing them after just a few minutes. The film is episodic, requires some patience, but it well captures the rhythm and details of their lives. Director Juraj Lehotsky has an interesting POV- events are shown largely through Nina's eyes (e.g., many scenes are shot from a child's perspective). Perhaps the best part of the film is young Bibiana Novakova- a wonder as Nina, utterly natural. All the acting is superb.

IMO not suitable for children or teens, especially sensitive or impressionable ones, due to disturbing scenes/content. You'll need to watch it first and adjudge. The ending packs a powerful punch, wholly unexpected. I'll just say that by the end I was all in, and cared VERY much what happened to Nina and her parents. I won't soon forget it. Highly recommended.