Based on real events, The Miner tells the poignant story of a man refusing to let the dark deeds of the past remain buried. Alija (Leon Lučev) left Bosnia when he was just a boy, but his family members remaining in Srebrenica were massacred and their bodies never found. Like many Bosnians, Alija found work in Slovenia’s Zasavje coal region. Years later, mining is a failing industry and with the financial crisis of 2008-09, mines are shutting down and layoffs are widespread. When Alija is called to the manager’s office he fears the worst, but instead he receives a special assignment: reopen a long-sealed mine and confirm that it is empty. Instead, his project reveals hidden proof of post-WWII war crimes, shocking Slovenian society and raising fundamental questions about truth and delayed justice. Lučev (also featured in this year’s Men Don’t Cry) proves once again that he is one of the region’s finest actors.

In competition for the FIPRESCI Prize.