A retired architect's attempted return and land sale becomes a collective struggle to protect his threatened homeland.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
A Life Refused
After a heart attack, Jovan rejects pressure to enter a nursing home. Nikola's social isolation is also established as part of their personal circumstances.
Key Events
Jovan Suffers a Heart Attack — Jovan experiences a heart attack, changing the direction of his later life. Characters: JovanLocation: Germany
A Nursing Home Is Proposed — Jovan's daughter pressures him to spend the rest of his life in a nursing home. Characters: JovanLocation: Germany
Jovan Rejects Institutional Life — The retired architect refuses to give in to pressure about entering a nursing home. Characters: JovanLocation: Germany
Nikola's Social Isolation — Nikola is established as having Asperger's syndrome and living without social contacts. Characters: NikolaLocation: Germany
Return to the Homeland
Jovan chooses to travel with Nikola to Serbia, his homeland. Their destination is a village connected to Jovan's family land.
Key Events
Jovan Chooses the Homeland — Jovan decides to travel to his Serbian homeland with Nikola. Characters: Jovan, NikolaLocation: Germany
The Journey to Serbia — Jovan and Nikola travel from Germany toward Jovan's homeland. Characters: Jovan, NikolaLocation: Route to Serbia
The Serbian Village — They arrive in the village that represents Jovan's homeland. Characters: Jovan, NikolaLocation: A village in Serbia
The Land at Risk
The journey is initially connected to selling the family land. The pair then encounter the threat posed by construction interests to the remaining homeland.
Key Events
The Family Land Is Offered — Jovan and Nikola come to Serbia so Jovan can sell the family land. Characters: Jovan, NikolaLocation: Family land in Serbia
The Homeland Faces Destruction — Construction interests threaten to destroy what remains of Jovan's homeland. Characters: Jovan, NikolaLocation: A village in Serbia
Rebellion for Home
The local population rebels against the construction mafia. Jovan becomes part of this collective struggle, changing the purpose of his return.
Key Events
A Local Rebellion Emerges — The local population begins rebelling against the construction mafia. Characters: Jovan, NikolaLocation: A village in Serbia
Jovan Joins the Resistance — Jovan becomes part of the local population's rebellion against the construction mafia. Characters: Jovan, NikolaLocation: A village in Serbia
The Land Becomes a Collective Cause — The personal land sale is overtaken by the struggle to protect the threatened homeland. Characters: Jovan, NikolaLocation: Jovan's homeland in Serbia
Story Breakdown
Jovan's Health Crisis — Jovan's heart attack forces questions about how he will live the rest of his life.
Heart Attack — Jovan suffers a heart attack before the journey.
Refused Nursing Home — Jovan rejects pressure to spend his remaining life in a nursing home.
Family Pressure — Jovan faces pressure from his daughter while asserting control over his future.
Daughter's Pressure — His daughter urges him to accept nursing-home care.
Independent Choice — Jovan chooses an alternative to institutional life.
Nikola's Isolation — Nikola's lack of social contacts forms an important part of the personal background.
Asperger's Syndrome — Nikola is explicitly described as having Asperger's syndrome.
Limited Social Contacts — Nikola is living without social contacts before the journey.
Return to Serbia — Jovan travels with Nikola from Germany to his homeland in Serbia.
Shared Journey — Jovan and Nikola make the journey together.
Village Arrival — They reach a village in Serbia connected to Jovan's homeland.
The Family Land — The original practical purpose of the trip is to sell the family land.
Land Sale — Jovan travels to Serbia to sell the family land.
Inherited Homeland — The land is part of what remains of Jovan's homeland.
Construction Threat — Construction interests threaten to destroy the village and the remaining homeland.
Threatened Village — Construction activity endangers the Serbian village.
Homeland Destruction — The construction mafia threatens to destroy what remains of Jovan's homeland.
Local Rebellion — The local population organizes against the construction mafia, drawing Jovan into a wider cause.
Population Resistance — The local population rebels against the construction mafia.
Jovan's Involvement — Jovan becomes part of the rebellion instead of simply selling the land.
After a heart attack, Jovan, a retired architect of Serbian origin who spent most of his life in Germany, refuses to give into his daughter's pressure to spend the rest of his life in a nursing home. With his grandson Nikola, who has Asperger's syndrome and is living without social contacts, he travels to his homeland, a village in Serbia, to sell the family land, but becomes a part of a local population rebellion against the construction mafia that threatens to destroy everything that is left of his homeland.
