Playing Men erkundet spielerisch (Wortwitz beabsichtigt!) die Mentalitäten und Traditionen, die mit dem Wort „spielen“ in seinen unterschiedlichen Verwendungen verbunden sind – von Sport über Musik bis zum Schauspiel, sowohl im Sinne der Rollen, die wir im Privatleben spielen, als auch im wörtlichen, theatralen oder kinematischen Sinne. Mit seiner dynamischen Struktur und durch die kulturellen Bezugspunkte von lokal bis global untersucht der Film Ausdrucksweisen und Konnotationen von Männlichkeit, und untergräbt sie oft schon durch eine Kontextveränderung. Die Frage von Wettbewerb ist dabei nie explizit erwähnt, aber unvermeidlich präsent. (Vladan Petkovic, Cineuropa)

At a time when men are under fire globally, this irresistible film provides a breath of fresh air. It’s about playing, about the beauty of the game and the men that play it. They play, deadly seriously, yet with airy joy somewhere by the Mediterranean. Wrestling, rolling a cheese through village streets or the rapid-fire reciting of the right numbers are occupations of the highest importance. Matjaž Ivanišin shot everything with serious lightness until he hit a creative block. Reconstructing a recent sporting event, Croat Goran Ivanišević’s win at Wimbledon in 2001, put his project back on track. That’s how a game should be played, won and celebrated. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)

Matjaž Ivanišin

Born in 1981, Matjaž is a writer and director. His short films made during his studies at the Slovenian national film school as well as his mid-length documentaries which he directed after his graduation in 2007 were screened and awarded at numerous festivals. He is currently shooting his first fiction feature film. Films – Selection: Playing Men (2017, doc), Vsaka dobra zgodba je ljubezenska zgodba (Every Good Story Is a Love Story, 2017, doc), Houses (2014, doc), Karpopotnik (Karpotrotter, 2013, mid-length doc)

Screenplay Matjaž Ivanišin

Cinematography Gregor Božič

Editing Matic Drakulić

Sound Borna Buljević

Producers Marina Gumzi, Vanja Jambrović, Tibor Keser

Production Nosorogi, Restart

World Sales Nosorogi

World Premiere International Film Festival Marseille 2017