Private Project

Christmas Lights

Dijana found out the day before Christmas Eve that her mother, Gordana, was looking for a new husband through a newspaper ad. She urgently goes to visit her mother to dissuade her from what seems to be an irrational and immature decision. During the nighttime search for a future husband for her mother, we discover who is truly the immature one in this relationship.

  • Gjorgi Lazov
    Director
    Ashes, Our Las Cup of Coffee
  • Gjorgi Lazov
    Writer
    Ashes, Our Las Cup of Coffee
  • Aleksandar Arsovski
    Producer
    Alone, Ashes, Tobacco Shop...
  • Tamara Babun Zovko
    Producer
    Pelican, Family Therapy, A Year of Endless Days, Funk YU.
  • Natasa Petrovikj
    Key Cast
    "Dijana"
    Blue Hour, Snow White Dies at the End, Only Human, The Children Will Come...
  • Sonja Mihajlova
    Key Cast
    "Mother"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Бадникови светилки
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 15, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    North Macedonia
  • Country of Filming:
    North Macedonia
  • Language:
    Macedonian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:09
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • 2025 / ICFF Manaki Broters Festival
    Bitola
    North Macedonia
    National Premiere
    MAKK Point
  • 2025 / CineDays Film Festival
    Skopje
    North Macedonia
    December 6, 2025
Director Biography - Gjorgi Lazov

Gjorgji Lazov was born in 1994 in Macedonia. In 2018, he completed his undergraduate studies in directing at Goce Delchev University in North Macedonia. During his studies, he worked as a production assistant, script supervisor, and assistant director on numerous short and feature films, most notably as a production assistant on the film "God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya."

As a director, he has written and directed several films, including Ashes, starring renowned actress Nataša Petrović, which was screened in the official competition at festivals in North Macedonia, the USA, Canada, Vienna, and Serbia. Another notable film is One More Coffee, which competed at festivals in Romania, Australia, and the USA.

Previous filmography:
1. "Ashes" - short film, 18 minutes
Official selection:
-Vienna International Film Awards, March 2021, Austria
-Green Fest, November 2020, Belgrade, Serbia - AWARD: Best
south-east European film
-49th National short film festival 2020, Skopje, Macedonia - AW
ARD: Silver statue for best short film
-Winter Apricots, December 2020, Prilep, Macedonia
-Drim Short Film Festival, November 2020, Macedonia
-Kinenova, October 2020, Skopje, Macedonia
-Macedonian Film Festival, October, 2019, Toronto, Canada
-First-time Filmmaker Sessions December 2019, L.A., USA,
finalist
-Beach film festival July 2019, Ohrid, Macedonia
-Bucharest Short cut film festival February 2019, Bucharest,
Romania
-Brothers Manaki Film Festival 2019, Bitola, Macedonia, MAK
Point selection

2. ”One more cup of coffee” – short film, 12 minutes
Official selection:
-Vienna International Film Awards, March 2021, Austria
-Mitreo film festival 2017 Italy
-Changing Faces International Film Festival 2017, Sydney,
Australia
-Winter’s Garden Film Festival 2018, Blackpool, UK
-FIOFA 2017, Ohrid, Macedonia AWARD: Best lovely film
-46 National short film festival 2017, Ohrid, Macedonia
-Kinenova Film Festival 2018, Skopje, Macedonia
-Drim Shorts 2018 , Struga, Macedonia
-Inshorts International Film Festival 2018, Nigeria
-Lift Of Session, December 2018, London, UK

3. ”The grey forest” – short film 8 minutes
Official selection:
-CEE International Film Festival 2016, Ningbo, China
-8th International Uther Film Festival 2015 – Bangladesh
-FIOFA 2016, Ohrid, Macedonia AWARD: Best sad film
-45 National short film festival 2016, Shtip, Macedonia AWARD: Silver for best short film

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The story of Gordana is at its core an intimate family drama, about the broken relationship with her daughter Diana. The loneliness she experiences and how she deals with that is not approved by her daughter. Through her coping mechanism the mental state of Gordana is also explored, who understands that she’s becoming old and slowly becoming senile. The ideas and themes explored in this short film were inspired by true events. My friend’s grandfather made a post in the local newspaper that he was in search of a new wife. When his daughter found out, my friend’s mother, she immediately called the newspaper and tried to stop it. Also, she didn’t allow her father to marry again, because that was going against the traditions and the values of the society where they lived. When I heard of this situation, it clicked in my mind that this could be perfect for a short film, where through a comedic presented situation I could explore deeper themes of clash of different values, tradition and a broken relationship between a parent and his child.