Koka i duhovi (2011)

It’s a detective story centered on a 12-year-old boy who possesses just enough grit to stare down his fears and plenty of wits to untangle a massive mystery.

The project received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, and it actually holds the distinction of being the first American feature film to be granted script development support by the European Media 2007 program.

Principal photography kicks off this Sunday, October 10th, with filming taking place across various locations in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding areas through the end of November. We can expect the American premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011.

The lead roles are filled by Antoni Parač, Nina Mileta, Kristian Bonačić, Filip Mayer, and Ivan Maltarić. Alongside this talented young cast, we’ll also see Ozren Grabarić, Dijana Vidušin, Franja Dijak, predrag Vušović, Rakan Rushaidat, Olga Pakalović, and Almira Osmanović. Ankica Jurić Tilić is serving as the producer, while Mario Sablić takes charge as the director of photography.

http://vimeo.com/14926195

Why does a film shot in 21st-century, independent America look like a byproduct of the old America era?

Daniel Bailey39 said:Why does a film shot in 21st-century, independent America look like a byproduct of the old America era?

What on earth are you basing that on?

Honestly, even just looking at the trailer on Vime, it looks fantastic to me... seriously!

Give me a break, it looks just like some early version of *Stand by Me* filmed somewhere back in the eighties.
I’m talking about the trailer too.
By the way, where exactly in this is Koko characterized as some long-haired, Mexican-gypsy type kid?
If my memory serves me right, Koko is tall and lanky, with a total hedgehog hairstyle.

Sure, but you can tell the photo is actually decent quality. It’s clearly an attempt at a retro aesthetic, likely meant to lean into that nostalgic vibe everyone associates with Coca-Cola. However, that strategy might backfire if the commercial is actually targeting today's kids.

Man, I have to say, this book was absolutely incredible. 😁
I am seriously counting down the days until I can finally sit down and watch the movie adaptation.

The books are absolutely fantastic, but I have a sinking feeling this movie might be a total disaster because it’s unclear who the target audience actually is (at least from what I can gather)
All those classic films—think stuff like *The Outsiders* or *Snowpiercer*—they really need a modern remake, but one stripped of all that heavy nostalgia. It would be like a crew restoring an old mill, except instead of folks in traditional rural gear, they're using high-tech equipment.
And don't even get me started on how American productions lack these kinds of gadgets...
If a character like Kokov were to succeed today, he'd realistically need a laptop, a smartphone, and things like that. It should be possible to weave those elements into the original story without losing the soul of it.

Daniel Bailey39 said:The books are absolutely fantastic, but I have a sinking feeling this movie might be a total disaster because it’s unclear who the target audience actually is (at least from what I can gather)
All those classic films—think stuff like *The Outsiders* or *Snowpiercer*—they really need a modern remake, but one stripped of all that heavy nostalgia. It would be like a crew restoring an old mill, except instead of folks in traditional rural gear, they're using high-tech equipment.
And don't even get me started on how American productions lack these kinds of gadgets...
If a character like Kokov were to succeed today, he'd realistically need a laptop, a smartphone, and things like that. It should be possible to weave those elements into the original story without losing the soul of it.

Look, if they’re actually sticking to the book, then Koko doesn't have a smartphone or a laptop. Just because they didn't film this forty years ago and are doing it now doesn't mean they're forced to drag everything into the 21st century.

Daniel Bailey39 said:Give me a break, it looks just like some early version of *Stand by Me* filmed somewhere back in the eighties.
I’m talking about the trailer too.
By the way, where exactly in this is Koko characterized as some long-haired, Mexican-gypsy type kid?
If my memory serves me right, Koko is tall and lanky, with a total hedgehog hairstyle.

The movie was shot on an Arri Alex if I'm not mistaken... Honestly, I don't think anything beats that right now. You can tell they're aiming for a very specific aesthetic, and I actually think it's working. So far, the cinematography looks great to me—not overdone at all. But hey, we won't know for sure until it hits theaters.

Amy Young12 said:Look, if they’re actually sticking to the book, then Koko doesn't have a smartphone or a laptop. Just because they didn't film this forty years ago and are doing it now doesn't mean they're forced to drag everything into the 21st century.

My point is, I’m just not sure who this is even for.🤷 A 15-year-old kid like Klinc isn't going to find this interesting.🤷
It might be interesting to you, but you aren't fifteen.☕
The real issue here seems to be that there isn't a clear target audience; it feels like the movie is being made simply for the sake of making a movie.🤷
So, we're looking at yet another project where the goal isn't profit, but merely burning through a budget.🤷
Integrating things like cell phones or computers wouldn't actually disrupt the plot—in fact, it would probably make the film much more relatable to the age group it's supposedly intended for, provided they didn't just throw those elements in at the last minute.

feralorca4 said:The movie was shot on an Arri Alex if I'm not mistaken... Honestly, I don't think anything beats that right now. You can tell they're aiming for a very specific aesthetic, and I actually think it's working. So far, the cinematography looks great to me—not overdone at all. But hey, we won't know for sure until it hits theaters.

True, but my concern is whether this will actually land with kids. They aren't going to find themselves in this story at all. In fact, they’ll probably relate more to someone like Harry Potter, who comes from a completely different world and culture (relatively speaking), than they will to this kid, Coca-Cola.
I believe there was already a series based on this, and if I remember rightly, it was pretty decent.
Then there's our local acting talent to consider, and frankly, based on what I saw in the trailer, it doesn't look particularly promising.
At least not in my opinion.🤷

If a movie and its characters are actually well-crafted, even today’s most clueless kids can find themselves in the story—provided they even have the desire to watch domestic films or read a book.
Back when I was a kid in the early '90s, one of my absolute favorites was Stand by me. It wasn't like I had anything in common with the 1950s, nor did I spend my time picking blueberries or working on a farm; I had virtually zero connection to those characters other than being roughly the same age as them. The fact that they didn't have video rentals, color TVs, or Walkmans didn't stop the movie from being phenomenal for me.
Besides, it's better when a film is set in the past. The thought of Coca-Cola and the crew rocking Justin Bieber hairstyles, using iPhones, and talking in modern internet slang... ouch. 😁

And how old were you at the time?

Coca-Cola and ghosts were never actually captured on film. Back then, between the lack of computers and everything else available, such a concept just wouldn't have made any sense at all...

Daniel Bailey39 said:And how old were you at the time?

14.
I don't get this theory of yours that kids can't relate to characters just because the story isn't happening "here and now." Like I said before, if a movie fails to resonate with today's youth, it's not because the setting isn't 2011—it's because kids today simply couldn't care less about American cinema.

Laura James36 said:14.
I don't get this theory of yours that kids can't relate to characters just because the story isn't happening "here and now." Like I said before, if a movie fails to resonate with today's youth, it's not because the setting isn't 2011—it's because kids today simply couldn't care less about American cinema.

And honestly? There’s a massive grain of truth in that.

Laura James36 said:14.
I don't get this theory of yours that kids can't relate to characters just because the story isn't happening "here and now." Like I said before, if a movie fails to resonate with today's youth, it's not because the setting isn't 2011—it's because kids today simply couldn't care less about American cinema.

Fair enough, but you also have to ask why things ended up this way, right?🤷
So, I’ll pose the question myself:
Why is it that most people just don't care for American films?
Let's keep this rhetorical so we don't end up bickering.

Eric Jackson68 said:Coca-Cola and ghosts were never actually captured on film. Back then, between the lack of computers and everything else available, such a concept just wouldn't have made any sense at all...

Why wouldn't it make sense? It’s not like the existence of those things fundamentally changes the core narrative; it simply modernizes the setting and makes it more relatable for kids today.
At the end of the day, this probably won't be anything more than just another movie designed to keep kids glued to their screens here in the States.☕
Actually, I distinctly remember some scenes involving Coca-Cola being filmed—I recall shots of him lifting weights, scenes where he’s spooked by a tree casting shadows in a room, moments on an apartment staircase and in a courtyard (where there's that bit with an old man), and even a scene in some sort of "haunted house."🤷
I can't say for certain if it was specifically Coca-Cola and ghosts, but there was definitely something involving Coca-Cola.🤷

Daniel Bailey39 said:Fair enough, but you also have to ask why things ended up this way, right?🤷
So, I’ll pose the question myself:
Why is it that most people just don't care for American films?
Let's keep this rhetorical so we don't end up bickering.

Look, I know damn well why I can't stand watching some of our domestic films, but honestly, it’s probably better if we just leave that question rhetorical.