Excursion (2023) ‘Locarno’ Movie Review: Iman arrives at the doorstep of her house with an urge to go inside swiftly. She enters her house silently and closes the door slowly so as not to wake her parents. Yet, she stays there and stares at the floor for a long time. A series of question-answer sessions starts rolling in her mind to rectify her moves. Has she done the right thing despite eliminating the morality of her moves? Would her moves help her or lure her into destruction? Most importantly, is she willing to face the consequences due to her harmful curiosity?
I have seen many women-centric films that optimize feminism toward a positive end. Be it the 2020 film Never Rarely Sometimes Always by Eliza Hittman or the 2023 Marathi film Sthal by Jayant Somalkar, women have entered an era of acquiring equality and progression. In Excursion, director Una Gunjak handles a different aspect of feminism by examining a teenager’s reckless falsehood and emotional immaturity. We see Iman, a teenage girl, being adventurous among her classmates.
During a Truth or Dare game, gossip of Iman having a sexually intimate night with her crush, Damir, pops up out of nowhere. While everyone around her gazes at Iman for confirmation, Iman nods and agrees to the rumor without hesitation. The rumor’s foundation is built on pure speculation, while Iman seizes the opportunity to make her wildest fantasies a reality. What comes after is a blast of unexpected events that progresses into a bigger and broader catastrophe.
In a recent interview, director Una Gunjak explained that a reported event of seven girls getting pregnant at the same time in Banja Luka, Bosnia, became the talk of the nation. Excursion, which focuses on the experiences of teenage girls in Bosnia in the throes of romantic attraction, draws its inspiration from this odd event. The director wants the audience to understand the thought process of female teenagers who are curious to understand intimacy and find the right path to gain it.
It is evident through a session where Iman’s classmates start asking detailed questions regarding her intimate night with Damir. Inquiries such as “How long did the process last? Does it cause you to bleed? Did it hurt you?” were thrown towards Iman for an answer. However, doubts also arise among them. Questions like “Isn’t it too early for you to have intimacy? and How come you weren’t scared when it happened?” strengthen the aspect of instinct despite the lack of knowledge among them.
One of the major findings that I grasped from Excursion is the power of infatuation, which has the ability to blur a person’s mind from reality. The film doesn’t venture deep into the psychological influence but focuses more on the reasoning behind adverse decisions. Iman hails from a mildly dysfunctional family, but the element of love is still present among the family members. However, Iman’s coming-of-age phase is characterized by a heightened sensitivity to infatuation, the strongest emotion among all teenagers.
The desperation of acquiring love advances into a toxic obsession within Iman to take a darker step. The questions here are: does the lack of attachment within Iman lead to risky decisions? Does loneliness have negative implications for an individual over a long time? As the film progresses, we are exposed to deeper unethical twists. Iman’s sudden decision to evolve her lie with another lie furthers the narrative into a darker scenario. This raises the following issues – Is fame worth a lie? Why do most teenage dreams involve betrayal and lessons? These questions may not have simple answers.
The parallel perceptions among students and parents on education and freedom are also brought into the picture. We see parents having significant concerns about the safety of their kids for a school trip. On the other hand, we see teenagers planning to claim their freedom through traveling. Their perception is based on personal funds and their fascination with the destination, which comes from their ideas about leisure. The varied perspective of obligations is certain here, as teenagers are mainly carefree while adults are laden with responsibilities.
A scene of Iman’s mom having an intense conversation with Iman following the evolution of the rumor underlines the mother-daughter’s fragile relationship. We witness the process of Iman’s mother delicately diffusing the situation to understand her daughter’s point of view, which is beguiling to experience. The performance of Maja Izetbegovic as Iman’s mother is a notable aspect of Excursion despite her brief screen time.
We also see Iman’s friend, Hana, struggling with her feelings of love. Iman and Hana are close friends and very much inseparable. A strong friendship is evidenced by their apparent enjoyment of one another’s company whenever they are together. However, there is a difference between both individuals in the aspect of critical thinking. Despite seeing him around her neighborhood, Hana seems to be taking things slowly with her crush, whom she has not met physically. Iman’s move of forcing them to meet deviates from Hana’s principle. Hana believes that rushing for love isn’t her thing, which upsets Iman. Iman’s decision to influence Hana to become like her inevitably has repercussions on their friendship. Hana is who Iman could be if her decisions were made with patience and maturity.
Excursion, which won the Special Mention Award at the 2023 Locarno Film Festival, is Bosnia’s entry for the Academy Awards this year. The film ambitiously explores the psychological makeup of adolescence and teen sexuality. The film tends to withhold pertinent questions and wants us to read between the lines for the answers. Due to its sparse screenplay, certain viewers might find it challenging to comprehend the film’s core elements fully. However, Excursion’s final moments will reward them with clarity and satisfaction.
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