A long relationship with an uncompromising artist turns into a crisis of identity, lifestyle, and radical personal change.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
The Promising Artist
Maks is established as a talented and charming painter committed to conceptual art. The long-term relationship initially appears connected to artistic ambition and future success.
Key Events
Maks as a Painter — Maks is introduced as a painter living an uncompromising artistic life. Characters: Maks
Conceptual Art Commitment — Maks is characterized as a committed conceptual artist. Characters: Maks
A Decade Together — The central relationship has lasted for ten years. Characters: Maks
Early Charm — Maks initially appears witty, charming, talented, and promising. Characters: Maks
Promise of Success — Maks hires his partner in pursuit of fame and success. Characters: Maks
Fame Among Artists
The story places Maks within a wider artistic milieu involving poetry, opera, and conceptual art. His belief in fame and money increasingly exposes the tension between artistic ideals and practical expectations.
Key Events
Promise of Success — Maks hires his partner in pursuit of fame and success. Characters: Maks
Fame and Money — Maks connects artistic work with the expectation of fame and money. Characters: Maks
The Artistic Circle — The film presents a circle of artists associated with poetry, opera, and conceptual art. Characters: Maks, Vilma
Country Artists — Maks describes the artists from his viewpoint as Slovenian country artists. Characters: Maks
Approaching Thirty — Doubts intensify shortly after the central partner's thirtieth birthday. Characters: Maks
Doubts After Thirty
Around the central partner's thirtieth birthday, doubts about the established lifestyle become more serious. Maks is no longer viewed only as talented, but also as deeply bohemian and difficult to live with.
Key Events
Growing Dissatisfaction — The artistic way of life is recognized as personally unsuitable. Characters: Maks
Bohemian Recognition — Maks is reassessed as an irreversible bohemian rather than merely promising. Characters: Maks
The Slacker Image — Maks is further judged to be a slacker. Characters: Maks
Sarcastic Behavior — Maks's sarcasm becomes part of the increasingly negative reassessment. Characters: Maks
A Radical Change
The dissatisfaction reaches a decisive point as Maks is judged to be both lazy and sarcastic. The response is a radical decision to change life rather than simply accept the existing arrangement.
Key Events
Radical Decision — The central partner decides to change her life radically. Characters: Maks
Refusal to Leave — The decision is framed as something more radical than simply leaving Maks. Characters: Maks
Story Breakdown
Maks the Artist — Maks is introduced through his artistic identity and uncompromising conceptual practice.
Painter Identity — Maks is established as a painter.
Conceptual Commitment — His artistic practice is described as uncompromising and conceptual.
Early Promise — The relationship begins under the impression that Maks is talented, charming, and destined for success.
Witty Charm — Maks initially appears witty and charming.
Promising Talent — His talent creates expectations of a successful future.
Fame Pursuit — Artistic ambition becomes associated with the pursuit of fame and money.
Hiring Partnership — Maks hires his partner in pursuit of recognition.
Money Expectations — Maks states that fame and money do not appear without effort.
Artist Community — The film situates Maks within a broader circle of Slovenian artists.
Poetic World — The artistic environment includes a poet.
Opera Tradition — The environment also includes an opera singer.
Growing Doubts — The established lifestyle becomes increasingly incompatible with personal expectations.
Turning Thirty — Doubts emerge shortly after the central partner turns thirty.
Lifestyle Rejection — The artistic way of life is recognized as unsuitable.
Radical Transformation — A negative reassessment of Maks culminates in a decisive demand for change.
Bohemian Reassessment — Maks is seen as an irreversible bohemian, slacker, and sarcastic figure.
Beyond Departure — The planned life change is presented as more radical than simply leaving Maks.
Marjetka is living ten years with Maks, who is a painter, and an uncompromising conceptual artist. At first, it seemed different: Max was witty, charming, talented and promising, so he hired Marjetka to reach fame and success. "Well, it is funny today, but fame and money is not coming out of nowhere". The film has a poet, Srecko, Max's mother, an opera singer, and Vilma, Marjetka's friend. In short, the artists themselves, or as Max says from his point of view: "Slovenian - Country artists". And when Marjetka a few days after her 30th birthday, full of doubts about this way of life, which is not to her liking, she realizes that Maks is not only an irreversible bohemian, but also a slacker and sarcastic, she decides to change her life. And this is very radical. Rather than leave it to him.