New Europe Film Sales has boarded Croatian writer-director Hana Jušić’s period drama God Will Not Help ahead of its world premiere in the Concorso Internazionale of the Locarno Film Festival, which runs 6–16 August 2025 in Switzerland. The boutique Warsaw-based company also handled international sales on Jušić’s 2016 debut Quit Staring at My Plate, an award winner at Venice Days.
Set in the Dinaric highlands at the dawn of the twentieth century, the film follows Teresa, a Chilean widow who arrives in an isolated community of Croatian shepherds claiming ties to a miner killed overseas; her presence unsettles rigid hierarchies but sparks new possibilities for local women. Principal photography took place from late August to early October 2024 on Mount Dinara, Mount Svilaja and the island of Krk.
Lead role Teresa is played by Chilean actor-filmmaker Manuela Martelli, supported by Ana Marija Veselčić and Filip Đurić. Croatian powerhouse Kinorama produced, with co-production partners Micro Film (Romania), Nightswim (Italy), Horsefly (Greece), Maneki Films (France) and Perfo Production (Slovenia), backed by public funds across six European territories and Eurimages. The screenplay originated at Cannes Cinéfondation and TorinoFilmLab and previously collected Re-Act development support, underlining the region’s collaborative talent pipelines.
Locarno programmers placed Jušić’s sophomore feature among 17 titles vying for the Golden Leopard, alongside new work from directors Radu Jude and Ben Rivers, giving Croatia its first main-competition berth since 2020. In a statement released by national agency HAVC, producer Ankica Jurić Tilić called the selection “a vital platform for voices emerging from smaller European industries.”
For New Europe founder Jan Naszewski, the partnership extends a catalogue that includes Corpus Christi and Lamb. He noted that Jušić “pairs intimate character work with ambitions that travel,” a quality he believes will resonate with arthouse distributors scouting in Locarno’s lakeside market. With global rights now in one place, buyers will have their first look when the film screens in early August, days before major fall festivals lock final slates.
