Film Carousel – Season 2022/23

Beanie (Kapa, Slovenia, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Croatia, 2022, 85 min.), 6+

Christmas is the time of year when one’s most secret wishes come true. A boy who has nothing and a girl who has everything are full of expectations in Slovenia’s first Christmas movie.

Director: Slobodan Maksimović
Screenplay: Sasa Eržen
Music: Michal Novinski
Cast: Gaj Črnič, Kaja Podreberšek, Ajda Smrekar, Mojca Fatur, Frano Mašković, René Štúr, Mila Maksimović, Tiln Kolbe, Emil Kulović
Distribution: Fivia – Vojnik

Plot
Erik is a nine-year-old boy, living in a youth home because of his problematic parents. He never parts from his beanie. When he’s feeling particularly low, he pulls it right over his nose. Because the cap was knitted by his mother. Life in the home is not easy for Erik, a quiet and reserved boy who tends to get bullied by a gang of older boys. His only wish is to go home for Christmas. Instead, he gets to spend the holiday with a wealthy family and their seven-year-old daughter Lučka, who wishes for a puppy and a sister. In the middle of the night, Erik and Lučka encounter Santa in the family’s living room, but he is in fact a thief in disguise. Full of hopes, they hide in his car, but the fake Santa gets rid of them in the middle of the city. They embark on an extraordinary adventure.

Author’s statement
»Working with Kaja and Gaj was a one-of-a-kind experience for me. At the beginning of the shoot, I saw them as talented kids and now, when we’ve wrapped the movie, I consider them great actors and good friends. I enjoyed their sincerity, incredible acting skills and stamina every day. While the schedule was adjusted for child actors, the monthslong filming can prove quite strenuous even for experienced professionals.«
Slobodan Maksimović