“Time never dies – the circle is not round.”
That is the thread that unites the three parts of this story.
Set in Macedonia during the time of the Balkan wars of the 1990s, “Before the Rain” is a study in how ethnic strife can appear in a place that is apparently at peace.
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The three parts – “Words,” “Faces,” and “Pictures” – deal with violence in different forms. Even London isn’t safe from the turmoil happening at that time in southeastern Europe.
Much of the film concerns itself with Aleksandar, an international photographer who returns to his ancestral homeland of Macedonia. He is haunted by a decision he made while covering the war in Bosnia.
While not quite circular, the story flashes back and forward and requires the viewer pay close attention to what transpires. For that reason, this film should be seen more than once.
There is a sense while watching this movie, that fate – rather than choice – determines our actions and their consequences.
However, there are some bright lights of human kindness in the pitch black of ethnic warfare. They convey a sense of hope in hopeless places.
In the film, an elderly cleric, speaking to another monk, remarks how the rain will start soon and that it is already raining “over there.” “Over there” is the rest of the Balkans and the rain is the ethnic storm that is evident in places like Bosnia and brewing in Macedonia.
There appear to be loose ends in the movie but overall it is worth seeing.
“Before the Rain” is available for rent.
Murphy can be reached at: [email protected]
