Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Film at Frameline and Croatia’s official Oscar submission, Ivona Juka’s bold, unflinching drama is a visceral exploration of art, identity, and survival in a world where love itself is a threat to power. In post-WWII Yugoslavia, four young war heroes turned celebrated filmmakers find their personal lives under surveillance as suspicions about their sexuality begin to rise. When a Communist Party loyalist is assigned to infiltrate their circle, what begins as quiet scrutiny becomes a campaign of sabotage and betrayal. BEAUTIFUL EVENING, BEAUTIFUL DAY unfolds in lush black and white, capturing both the profoundness of queer intimacy and the impact of systemic oppression. Inspired by real historical research and grounded in a deeply personal story, the film refuses to look away from the difficulties that queer people living in secrecy face. But within that darkness, there is defiance, tenderness, and the flicker of freedom.