Hana Jušić Unpacks ‘God Will Not Help,’ Bows Trailer Ahead of Locarno

Hana Jušić’s second feature “God Will Not Help” has debuted a trailer ahead of its Locarno premiere.

Selected for its prestigious International Competition and set in the early 20th century, it introduces headstrong Teresa (Manuela Martelli), coming to Croatia from Chile. 

Disturbing the peace of a family of shepherds, living in complete isolation amid harsh nature, she’s claiming to be the widow of their late brother. Teresa, who can’t speak a word of their language, is different from local women, dominated by men. Some are intrigued by her – others are quick to call her a witch. 

“It’s certainly a much broader phenomenon, but in Croatia we’re witnessing a troubling resurgence of so-called ‘traditional values,’ often couched in nostalgic fantasies of patriarchal order,” Jušić told Variety, describing a “disturbing” ritual taking place in her country’s capital, Zagreb.

“Groups of men kneel and pray for the ‘purity’ of women. But behind this spectacle of piety is a gesture that thinly veils control and moral policing.” 

She added: “I guess it’s important to reclaim the figure of the witch, a historical symbol of female defiance and nonconformity, against these attempts to re-domesticate women’s bodies and desires. With this film, I wanted to suggest that figures like Teresa and [shepherdess] Milena could easily be among us today: women who unsettle the structures that seek to discipline them.”

In the film, Martelli – discovered by Jušić thanks to Carlo Sironi’s short “Valparaiso” – is joined by Ana Marija Veselčić, Filip Đurić, Mauro Ercegović Gracin and Nikša Butijer. You can watch the exclusive trailer here:

“God Will Not Help” marks a bit of a departure for the Croatian director, known for such contemporary fare as short “Terrarium” and feature debut “Quit Staring at My Plate,” which scored her multiple awards. But in the end, it’s still about a family, she argued.

“I’ve always had an interest in psychology, so what actually drew me to scriptwriting was the possibility to talk about people from the perspective of their faults and pathologies – especially the ones they’re trying to hide or are unaware of. Families are perfect narrative units for this approach,” she said. 

“Here, I wanted to avoid this type of psychologizing, so I chose a foreigner that starts her path afresh, among strangers. I wanted to make a poetic film that approaches characters from the outside, but I ended up talking about sadism and power games within a family setting again.”

Produced by Kinorama and sold by New Europe Film Sales, it’s co-produced by Nightswim, Microfilm, Horsefly Films, Maneki Films, Perfo Production and ERT. 

Making a period drama wasn’t easy, admitted Jušić, who had Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” on her mind. 

“I have a marvelous producer, Ankica Jurić Tilić, who strongly believed in the project and had enough patience and dedication for six years of searching for financing and partners. At one point, we even agreed that if we don’t succeed within a year, we would do it ‘guerilla style.’ Luckily, we did. Looking back, I’m not sure we would’ve survived it,” she laughed, recalling unforgiving yet gorgeous locations that ultimately allowed her to make her own “Eastern.”

Waiting for funding, Jušić started to research local folklore and conduct interviews with older people from the region. 

“They shared memories of their childhood, because life hasn’t really changed there that much from the early 20th century up until the 1970s. What helped me immensely was that Manuela and I traveled to Punta Arenas and Porvenir [in Chile], trying to uncover Teresa’s story together by drawing from the experiences of local women.” 

They talked to those who used to work on rural estates, as well as sex workers currently working near the farms. 

“These stories brought substance and weight to my fictional [tale]. They provided it with firm, fleshy foundations, and it made me feel safer.”

However, while eager to show an empowered character, Jušić never wanted to be “overly didactic.”

“Sometimes, when we struggle to find our voices and make our stories heard and seen, we turn to oversimplification. We end up with super strong, super smart or supercool female characters that can do no wrong,” she noted.

“Films – and their characters – should feel multilayered and difficult to decipher. All these ambiguities are what makes our stories resonate with real-life experience.”