When Father Was Away on Business poster

When Father Was Away on Business( 1985)

TV-MADrama
73%
User
Score

Overview

Tito's break-up with Stalin in 1948 marked the beginning of not only confusing, but also very dangerous, years for many hard-core Yugoslav communists. A careless remark about the newspaper cartoon is enough for Mesha to join many arrested unfortunates. His family is now forced to cope with the situation and wait for his release from prison.

    Top Billed Cast

    1. cast image

      Moreno de Bartoli

      Malik

    2. cast image

      Miki Manojlović

      Mehmed 'Meša' Zolj, otac

    3. cast image

      Mirjana Karanović

      Senija 'Sena' Zolj, majka

    4. cast image

      Mustafa Nadarević

      Zijah 'Zijo' Zulfikarpašić

    5. cast image

      Mira Furlan

      Ankica Vidmar

    6. cast image

      Predrag Laković

      Kućepazitelj Franjo

    7. cast image

      Pavle Vuisić

      Muzafer Zulfikarpašić, dedo

    8. cast image

      Slobodan Aligrudić

      Ostoja Cekić

    9. cast image

      Eva Ras

      Ilonka Petrović

    10. cast image

      Aco Gjorčev

      Dr. Jevgeni Ljahov

    11. cast image

      Emir Hadžihafizbegović

      Fahro Zulfikarpašić

    12. cast image

      Zoran Radmilović

      Brko Pilot

    13. cast image

      Jelena Čović

      Nataša

    14. cast image

      Tomislav Gelić

      Berberin Hamdo

    15. cast image

      Davor Dujmović

      Mirza Malkoč, brat

    16. cast image

      Amer Kapetanović

    17. cast image

      Silvija Marijanović Puharić

    18. cast image

      Zaim Muzaferija

      Predsjednik

    19. cast image

      Božidarka Frajt

      Doktorova žena

    20. cast image

      Haris Burina

      Ostojin šofer

    21. cast image

      Siniša Dugarić

    22. cast image

      Milijana Zirojević

    23. cast image

      Dimitrije Vujović

    24. cast image

      Vejsil Pećanin

    25. cast image

      Jasmin Geljo

    26. cast image

      Nebojša Šurlan

    27. cast image

      Fahrudin Ahmetbegović

    28. cast image

      Aleksandar 'Saša' Zurovac

    29. cast image

      Mirsad Zulić

    30. cast image

      Saša Petrović

      Kum (uncredited)

    Social

    Review 1Discussion

    A review by deepkino

    7
    Written by deepkino on Wed Sep 17 2025
    Emir Kusturica's When Father Was Away on Business is a courageous, funny, and deeply moving film that blends comedy, family drama, and political realism. The title refers to the lie a family tells a six-year-old boy to explain his father's imprisonment in a labor camp for a thoughtless remark that offended Communist officials. It won the Palme d'Or at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film....

    Media

    Videos 1Backdrops 4Posters 13

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    Facts

    Status

    Released

    Original Language

    English

    Budget

    -

    Revenue

    -

    Keywords

    • muslim
    • yugoslavia
    • loss of loved one
    • difficult childhood
    • circumcision
    • anti-communism
    • communism
    • 1950s