Based on a true story, Surviving Earth follows Vlad, a Yugoslav refugee and gifted musician who fled to the UK in the 90s. Now rebuilding his life in Bristol, he longs to be the father his daughter Maria deserves, but the shadows of his past refuse to fade.

A powerful debut feature from writer-director Thea Gajic, Surviving Earth announces the arrival of a bold and exciting new voice in contemporary British cinema.

The Garden Cinema View:

Thea Gajic's debut is an elegant character study that sensitively explores the complexities of addiction. Slavko Sobin is fantastic as Vlad, an ex-military man from former Yugoslavia trying to build a solid life in Bristol. In spite of his supportive friends, passion for music, and loving relationship with his daughter, unprocessed trauma along with financial demands from his family of origin keep pulling him back into the void.  Gajic does a great job engaging with a complex character, simultaneously capable of abrasiveness and empathy.

Surviving Earth is further elevated by the impressive cinematography of Olan Collardy (Rye Lane) and the sleekest of production values. It also offers a rare and welcome depiction of the Balkan diaspora in the UK, though the lingering trauma of the Balkan wars could have been explored a little further.

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Cast:
Slavko Sobin, Olive Gray, Peter Coonan, Stuart Martin