Private Project

Sunset

The Sunset is a documentary experimental film, or more precisely, a slideshow of photographs depicting Olga Masoničić, the grandmother of the film's author. The photographs were taken during the last two years of Olga's life. The theme of the photographs explores aging, vulnerability, and impending death, but also memory, history, and the anticipation of the end.

  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 42 seconds
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography

Milo Masonicic was born in 1994 in Podgorica and he lives in Podgorica. He completed his undergraduate and specialization studies at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje. He published two novels and made two experimental short movies, Grandparents's (2019) and Something is coming (2021)

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Director Statement

The sunset is the moment just before the day transforms into night. It is an introduction to the night, a prelude to nothingness. Sunset is perceived as a universal symbol of everyday beauty and is one of the most photographed subjects. The neverending fascination with the sunset means that people, in general, are interested in the moment just before the light fades. Maybe the end of life is, much like a sunset, a bittersweet moment of explosive, colorful sentimentality.

In her old days, she experienced frequent mood swings.

The Sunset slideshow is divided into four parts. In the first part, we see Olga alone in her cluttered home. At times, my grandmother enjoyed posing for me, but there were also moments when she declined. Usually, I shoot quickly and spontaneously; that's why my photos are in snapshot style. In the second part, her portraits are interwoven with images of landscapes, sunsets, seascapes, and soft lighting, all of which foreshadow my grandmother's impending death. In the third part of the slideshow, Olga's portraits are blended with family photos of her family and friends, as well as archive historical images spanning the last six decades, during which many wars, conflicts, and political issues during the last century.
In the final part of the slideshow, once again, we see Olga in her cluttered apartment. Her photos are mixed with images of her family and friends, but gradually, her photos become rarer, and in the end, viewers predominantly see people who will outlive her.

My goal was to catch her last days, the sunset of life —a prolonged moment in which life sums itself up without a final calculation or conclusion.