Croatian Filmmaker Debuts Feature at Karlovy Vary with Personal Drama About Home and Identity

Croatian filmmaker Mate Ugrin is making his feature directorial debut with ‘Paris, Paris’, which will premiere at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The drama follows a young woman navigating life between Paris and Croatia, exploring how memory shapes identity and what “home” really means.

The film tracks its protagonist’s journey between the two cities as both a physical and emotional quest for self-discovery. Rather than a traditional coming-of-age story, Ugrin examines how personal memories define who we are and the lasting influence places have on us, even after we’ve left them behind.

“Memories are never fixed,” Ugrin explained ahead of the festival debut. “They change over time and shift how we understand ourselves and the places we once called home.” He wanted to explore whether home is truly about geography or the emotional bonds we carry throughout our lives.

The director set out to create an intimate story that feels broadly resonant, capturing the uncertainty many young people experience as they juggle multiple identities and cultures. Ugrin deliberately avoided neat conclusions, instead letting audiences draw their own meaning from the characters’ emotional arcs.

The film contrasts the liveliness of Paris with the stillness of Croatian landscapes, using both settings to visualize the protagonist’s internal struggle. Its cinematography focuses on small, everyday moments where feelings surface naturally through understated storytelling.

For Ugrin, ‘Paris, Paris’ represents a significant step after earning accolades for his short films. The Karlovy Vary selection places his debut among premiere works from both emerging filmmakers and established directors, at a moment when European cinema is increasingly drawn to personal stories about migration, identity and belonging.