EVERYTHING THAT’S WRONG WITH YOU: A Film About Loss, Loneliness, and Friendship

The director and crew of the film EVERYTHING THAT’S WRONG WITH YOU attended a press conference at the National Theater this morning. The film’s world premiere is scheduled for tonight as part of the Competition Programme – Narrative Feature Film at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival.

 

Urša Menart’s newest feature follows two troubled girls navigating loneliness, depression, and substance abuse—challenges that ultimately forge a deep friendship between them.

Director Menart opened the conference by discussing the idea that sparked the movie. “I became fascinated by stories of people who meet online. It was mesmerizing to read about the lives people would invent just to get online attention,” Menart explained. She added that it was incredible to learn how far people would travel to meet and help their online friends, noting that the individuals she read about were usually very young, lonely women.

 

Menart shared that she finished the first draft of the script just before the COVID-19 pandemic, during her maternity leave—a period that left her feeling isolated as well. “It was inspiring to learn that someone would leave everything behind—their families, friends, and lives—just to meet someone they befriended online. I wanted to explore what we are willing to do just to avoid being alone.”

 

Although the plot is straightforward, the film is as layered as its two protagonists, who constantly oscillate between evoking empathy and inviting judgment. “It’s called humanity,” Menart added with a laugh. “I didn’t want to create characters who are just victims. I wanted them to have hope, no matter how misguided their coping mechanisms were.”

 

The director emphasized that she realized early on how crucial casting would be. “I had to be very thorough. What I love about Anuša and Klara is that they brought completely different energies to the project. On paper, Maruša and Alja could easily seem like cold, manipulative victims, but the actresses gave them incredible depth.”

 

The two lead actresses credited this depth to an extensive preparation period. “It took a whole year to truly understand Urša’s vision. This gave us a lot of freedom on set, to the point where we could eventually communicate without words,” Klara said. “I felt very safe,” Anuša added.

Since one of the characters finds solace only in her dog, the director also shared what it was like working with animals on set. “It was a long process because it was the dog's first time in a movie. In the end, our biggest problem was that we couldn’t get her to misbehave. She was simply too well-trained!” Menart laughed.

 

Menart thanked her crew and producers, expressing deep gratitude for the creative freedom she was given, and noted that the filming process was both smooth and enjoyable. She concluded by highlighting the significance of shooting the film's ending at the seaside. “The sea calms me down because it reminds me of how small and insignificant we truly are.”