''Easy Land'' is a 2019 Canadian drama film, written and directed by

Sanja Živković Sanja Živković is a Serbian-Canadian film director, whose debut feature film '' Easy Land'' was released in 2019. Born in Serbia, she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family during the Yugoslav Wars.Baisakhi Roy, Lisa Evans and Vivi ...

. The film stars

Mirjana Joković Mirjana Joković ( sr-cyr, Мирјана Јоковић; born 24 November 1967) is a Serbian film and stage actress, best known for her role as Natalija Zovkov in Emir Kusturica's Underground (1995 film), ''Underground'' (1995). She currently ...

and

Nina Kiri Nina Kiridžija ( sr-Cyrl, Нина Кириџиjа, known as Nina Kiri ( sr-Cyrl, Нина Кири), is a Serbian Canadian actress, best known for her role as the handmaid Alma in the first four seasons of the Hulu series ''The Handmaid's Tale ...

as Jasna and Nina, a mother (a trained

Architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

) and daughter from

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

who are struggling to adapt to their new lives after emigrating to Canada as

refugee A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...

s. The film's cast also includes

Daniel Kash Daniel Joshua Kash (born April 25, 1959) is a Canadian actor and film director. He is known for his appearances in films such as '' Aliens'', '' The Hunt for the BTK Killer'', and ''The Path to 9/11'', and in television series such as ''Law & Ord ...

Richard Clarkin Richard Clarkin is a Canadian actor. He is most noted for his performance in the 2017 film '' The Drawer Boy'', for which he won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019.Arlene Duncan Arlene Duncan is a Canadian actress and singer. Her father is African Canadian, with ancestors from Nova Scotia. Duncan has appeared in more than 80 film and television roles, in addition to many theatrical productions. She is best known for her ...

and

Sugith Varughese Sugith Varughese (born 25 April 1957) is an Indian-born Canadian writer, director and actor. Background Born in Cochin, Kerala, India into a Syriac Saint Thomas Christian family ("Varughese," also sometimes spelled " Varghese" and "Verghese" a ...

. The film premiered at the

2019 Toronto International Film Festival The 44th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 5 to 15 September 2019. The opening gala was the documentary film '' Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band'', directed by Daniel Roher, and the festival closed with a ...

Critical response

Alisha Mughal of ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'' rated the film 7 out of 10, writing that "it's a complex film that explores not just the difficulties refugees and immigrants experience as they try to convince their new country that they are capable enough, but also a fraught mother-daughter relationship, something we're not used to seeing on film. Jasna and Nina do love each other, but they also fight viciously, with the younger Nina oftentimes taking the role of mother, and Jasna the foolhardy teen. The film is also an excellent exploration of mental illness, poverty, and hope."Alisha Mughal
"'Easy Land' Tenderly Explores the Canadian Immigrant Experience"
''

'', May 19, 2020.

References

External links

* *
Easy Land
' at

Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; ) is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is the 16th largest library in the world. T ...

2019 films Canadian drama films English-language Canadian films Serbian-Canadian culture 2019 drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s Canadian films English-language drama films {{2010s-Canada-film-stub