The World of Movies: Sticker
Written by Rachael Crawley
The World of Movies is a series that explores global cinema, drawing on films from many countries, industries and eras. This week, we navigate life’s complexities in North Macedonia.
Sticker.
May contain spoilers.
This compact short played at film festivals around the world, including a stint at Sundance. Even with its eighteen-minute runtime, Sticker (Georgi M. Unkovski, 2019) conveys an impressive range of feeling over a relatively simple premise. Let’s take a look.
Dejan is desperately trying to renew his car registration, but is coolly informed that, due a shortage of stickers, this simple task will likely be delayed for week. Unfortunately, this coincides with a rare chance to see his daughter, with whom his relationship has apparently been fraught. Speeding to reach her, he is of course pulled over. Of course, he manages to ruin the situation even further, and he spirals further into the bureaucratic abyss.
As the short continues, we go back and forth on Dejan’s history, and get to know more about the system he is up against. Still, he is undaunted in pursuit of his goal. When one last obstacle is in his way, he is presented with an absurd solution, but we grasp its importance immediately. Whether he reaches his goal or not, he is definitely devoted – it’s too bad chaos seems to follow him wherever he goes.
Sticker.
The story is told very cleanly – no fancy camerawork or stirring scores, but instead a straightforward and unflinching look at Dejan’s ordeal. It suits the material. Both starkly brutal and heartfelt, with some moments of true humour, it blends its varying moods seamlessly, without ever losing focus on its protagonist. Sasko Kocev is understated and convincing in the role. His character can be menacing one moment and gentle in the next, which he conveys flawlessly. The story moves so quickly that it can feel a little disorienting, but it earns its most crucial moments, and none of it feels insincere.
Shorts must by necessity use great economy in storytelling, but few manage to pack in quite so much as Sticker does. Its careful balance of moods makes for a rich viewing experience, especially when anchored by a strong protagonist with a sympathetic mission. When tangled in bureaucracy, it is easy to feel trapped and hopeless. Sticker catches this mentality and passes it to us at lightning speed.
Rachael Crawley holds a Master's Degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, and has worked with film in Canada and in Europe. She adores language and cinema, and how these subjects interact with each other.