Role Model

Nejc
Gazvoda

Nejc Gazvoda (born 5 June 1985) is a Slovene writer, screenwriter and director. He has published a number of novels and collections of short stories and also has written the scripts for two successful TV dramas and has recently written and directed his first feature film Izlet (A TRIP) (2011). He studied at the Academy for Theatre, Radio, Film and Television in Ljubljana. Whilst still in secondary school he published his book of short stories Vevericam nič ne uide (Nothing Escapes the Squirrels) for which he won the Fabula Award in 2006 for best collection of short prose in Slovene published within the previous two years. His 2011 film A Trip was selected as the Slovenian entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. Two years later his second feature film DUAL was equally successful. Nejc Gazvoda also co-wrote the film PERSONAL BAGGAGE (2009), directed by Janez Lapajne and the film CLASS ENEMY (2013), directed by Rok Biček. In 2023 his other feature movie ROLE MODEL (Vzornik) premiered at Film Festival in Cottbus.

Jan (14) left the Slovenian capital with his mother Maja. He meets his new small-town classmates online. Trying to fit in with the group during the last two months of the ninth grade, his life changes due to the game "Sunshine”, a battle for human dignity. Jan's mother works at the school as a psychologist and takes care of Jan's classmate Jakob, who attempts suicide. No one knows the motive. Jan takes on the bullying situation, taking his mysterious neighbor as his role model in this hopeless situation.