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Julka
Directed by Valeria Cozzarini
Country Italy / Slovenia
Year 2025
Runtime 12′
Julka is an eight-year-old Slovenian-speaking girl who is inseparable from her two friends, Danilo and Marko. Their lives change drastically when the Fascist regime bans local and minority languages, triggering a period of persecution and oppression. One day, a teacher hears Julka speaking Slovenian in class and punishes her, using violence to enforce his fierce nationalism. The screenplay is loosely based on the short story “The Butterfly on the Hook” by writer Boris Pahor.
Valeria Cozzarini
Valeria Cozzarini began experimenting with animation while earning her degree in Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. In 2008, she participated in the European Animation Masterclass in Halle (Saale). She gained significant experience abroad, including an internship at the ZKM – Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe. She won First Prize at the Cortinametraggio Film Festival and, in 2017, the Best Art Music Video Award at the Expression Art Movie Film Festival.