Private Project

THE COW

War. In a recently captured village, an officer takes up residence in an abandoned house. Next to the house stands the former owner's cow, left behind.
While the new resident indulges in the appropriated belongings, the cow becomes a witness to his actions.

  • Pavo Marinković
    Director
    Ministry of Love, Bosnian Pot, Occupation, the 27th Picture
  • Pavo Marinković
    Writer
  • Sanja Šamanović
    Producer
    Occupation, the 27th Picture
  • Stjepan Perić
    Key Cast
    Ministry of Love
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    KRAVA
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    70,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Croatia
  • Country of Filming:
    Croatia
  • Language:
    Croatian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Chicago International Film Festival
    Chicago, Illinois
    United States
    October 25, 2025
    World Premiere
    Live Short Competition
  • Matera Film Festival
    Matera
    Italy
    November 10, 2025
    European Premiere
    International Competition
  • FFAVM Festival of Author Films Val Morin
    Val Morin
    Canada
    May 7, 2026
    Canadian Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Pavo Marinković

Born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1967, graduated with a degree in Dramaturgy at the ADU in Zagreb. His first theatre plays were released in the early 90s and won a lot of domestic awards.
After the 10-year tenure as a commissioning editor for the public broadcaster HRT (1996-2005), he started the career as a free lancing writer-director.
He has made 4 feature films, “Bosnian Pot (2023), “Ministry of Love” (2016), “Love Life of a Gentle Coward” (2009), “Trešeta” (2006) (together with Dražen Žarković) and one feature documentary “Occupation,the 27th Picture (2013).
His films were screened on prestigious film festivals such as Montreal World FF, Karlovy Vary IFF, IFFI Goa, Tallinn Black Nights FF, IFF Mannheim-Heidelberg, FF Kerala, Pula FF, Sarajevo FF, Chicago IFF, Cairo IFF, Transilvania IFF…etc...and won some awards (Mannheim, Pula, Alexandria, Houston, Bergamo, Napoli, Bucharest, Palić, Matera).
For the editions of 2021 and 2002 he was the artistic director of Pula Film Festival.
He lives in Vienna and Zagreb.

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Director Statement

At its core, The Cow is a story about the erosion of conscience through guilt. Set against the backdrop of war, it follows an unusual bond between a man and an animal, through which the human conscience gradually becomes corrupted. The film's protagonist is a soldier — an invader who takes what does not belong to him, all while trying to preserve a sense of honor. But, of course, he fails — under the silent gaze of the abandoned animal that bears witness to his every sin. With no way out, he destroys this innocent witness — only to lose what is most precious: his own conscience.
The film, which we aimed to shoot in a realistic manner, gradually introduces elements of paranoia, moral decay, and even a touch of humor. A recurring central motif in the film is the mirror — a symbol of who we are and what we are: our own conscience.