Sandbag Dam – July 10, 7:00PM @ Cinestudio

Queer Thursdays Presents…

SANDBAG DAM

Screening Thursday, July 10, 2025, 7:00 PM @ Cinestudio 

Marko lives in a Croatian village with his parents and his younger brother Fićo, of whom he is very fond. Although he is a gifted athlete, he prepares to follow his father’s plan for him to become a car mechanic once he has finished school. Two events throw Marko’s seemingly stable life out of balance: the village is threatened by flooding, and his forbidden first love, Slaven, returns home for his father’s funeral. Marko struggles to stay focused on his girlfriend Petra and an upcoming sporting tournament. But the closer the floods loom, the greater his emotional turmoil grows. While the villagers work tirelessly to build sandbag walls around their homes, Marko builds a wall of his own – one designed to keep his emotions at bay. But like water, feelings have a way of breaking through all obstacles …

Director Čejen Černić Čanak | 2025 | Croatia, Slovenia, Lithuania | 88 minutes | in Croatian with English subtitles

Cast: Lav Novosel, Andrija Žunac, Leon Grgić, Franka Mikolaci, Tanja Smoje, Alma Prica, Filip Šovagović, Luka Baškarad

 

“Bravo to all the creatives involved in Sandbag Dam for telling an urgent and important story and never making it feel like a polemic.” – Frank J. Avella, The Contending

“Set in rural Croatia, this relaxed, slice-of-life drama skillfully captures everyday rhythms while focusing on a young gay man at a crossroads in his life… It’s a powerful film that knowingly observes how a society can push people away.” – Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall