Character Relationship Map: The High Sun

Characters

• Jelena / Nataša / Marija (played by Tihana Lazović) — protagonist

  Across the three periods, these characters are central young women whose lives are shaped by communal division, wartime aftermath, family burdens, and attempts to find a different future. Jelena plans...

• Ivan / Ante / Luka (played by Goran Marković) — supporting

  Across the three periods, these characters are central young men confronting displacement, guilt, family conflict, and unresolved divisions. Ivan arranges work away from home and plans to leave with J...

• Božo / Ivno (played by Stipe Radoja) — supporting

  Božo is among the friends who tease Jelena and Ivan about eloping. Ivno later leaves with Luka for Split, making this character a supporting presence across two periods.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Jelena / Nataša / Marija → Ivan / Ante / Luka (Professional Work Associates) — Their practical conversation creates a temporary connection after the conflict.

  While repairing a building, Ante speaks with Nataša about the work, the land, and rebuilding a life there.

• Jelena / Nataša / Marija → Ivan / Ante / Luka (Romantic Partners) — Their relationship is the emotional center of the 1991 storyline.

  Jelena and Ivan flirt, swim together, and discuss leaving their divided hometown. They decide to leave together after Ivan's final performance.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Ivan / Ante / Luka → Božo / Ivno (Alliance Travel Companions) — Ivno accompanies Luka as he departs from his parents and the area.

  Luka leaves with Ivno for Split at the end of the 2011 storyline.

• Jelena / Nataša / Marija → Ivan / Ante / Luka (Alliance Travel Companions) — They share the journey that frames the 2011 storyline.

  Marija and Luka return to the area during the celebration of the first year of Sunshine after hitchhiking.

• Božo / Ivno → Ivan / Ante / Luka (Social Friend) — Their interaction is friendly but overshadowed by communal hostility.

  Božo joins the friends who joke with Ivan and Jelena about their possible elopement.

• Božo / Ivno → Jelena / Nataša / Marija (Social Friend) — Božo belongs to Jelena's social circle during the seaside period.

  Božo is among the friends who tease Jelena and Ivan about eloping.

Story Analysis

Three connected periods portray love, survival, and departure under the continuing shadow of communal division and wartime memory.

Plot Progression

1. Love Against Division — Jelena and Ivan fall in love beside the sea while imagining a future in Zagreb. Accusations and communal hostility force them to treat departure as an escape.
2. Ruins of Memory — Years later, Nataša works and cares for her mother while Ante repairs a building. Their discussion of wartime deaths exposes incompatible views of guilt, memory, and rebuilding.
3. A Road Away — Nataša decides to leave for a city job and accepts Ante's travel money. Their parting offers practical help without resolving the pain between them.
4. Homecoming and Fracture — Marija and Luka return for the Sunshine celebration after hitchhiking. Luka's visit to his parents turns into an argument about education, migration, and the worsening legacy of the past.
5. Departure Without Closure — Luka leaves for Split with Ivno while his parents watch. The departure provides movement rather than reconciliation, leaving the old divisions unresolved.