Watch Universalove

Universalove is a Serbian movie, directed and co-written by Stefan Arsenijevic, with Anica Dobra and Dusan Askovic as the main leads. Stefan Arsenijevic was a well-known director and writer from Serbia, known for the 2011 movie, Love and Other Crimes. The movie is a collection of different stories that depict love and relationships in the modern age, focusing on the existential struggles of human emotions. It is a blend of different genres, including drama, romance, and comedy, showing how these emotions are connected to our lives.

The first story focuses on a Japanese woman who travels to Serbia to find love, as her search for the perfect partner in Japan seems to be futile. She meets a taxi driver named Milan, who takes her from one place to another, and despite not sharing a common language, they form a bond that transcends their barriers.

In another story, two blind children meet in school, and their friendship blossoms into a love story when they grow older. The movie shows how the two characters use all their senses, except sight when exploring their love for each other. Their love surpasses their physical limitation, showing how love can be felt in more ways than one.

Another story revolves around a young couple who has grown apart from each other. The woman, who is a hairdresser, meets a man who wants to get a buzz cut for his wedding but has uncertainties about his marriage. The two indulge in a conversation that shows how listening and understanding can sometimes be the only remedy to a relationship.

There are various other stories, including a photographer who struggles with her inner demons, an elderly couple who meet after years of being apart, and a man's struggle with loneliness.

The movie has a unique narrative structure, where the stories blend into each other thematically but have no direct connection to each other. The movie is experimental and uses various cinematic techniques to convey the characters' emotions, including slow-motion, black and white shots, and wide-angle camera work.

What sets Universalove apart from other romantic movies is how it manages to explore love and relationships without sugarcoating it. The movie is realistic, and the relationships shown are unconventional, breaking free from societal norms.

The movie's director uses different languages to show how universal and inclusive love can be. The characters speak in different languages, including English, Japanese, and Serbian, showing how language should not be a barrier for love.

Universalove was a critical and commercial success in Serbia, winning several awards at different film festivals. Anica Dobra, who played the lead character in the movie, won the Best Actress award at the Sofia International Film Festival.

In conclusion, Universalove is a unique and poignant portrayal of love and relationships in the modern world. Its collection of unconventional stories and its representation of love as a universal emotion makes it a cinematic gem that is worth watching. The movie shows how love can transcend all boundaries, be it language, disability, or societal norms.