Summer in the Golden Valley (2003): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2003, Summer in the Golden Valley is a drama film directed by Srđan Vuletić, running about 105 minutes.

What it’s about. At the traditional Muslim funeral service for his father Fikret Varupa, sixteen year old boy from Sarajevo, learns that his father owes money to Hamid, a man he does not even know. The debt is considerable and Hamid does not want it to go to the grave with the body, so the debt automatically passes from the father to the son. Since in Bosnia this way of collecting debts, at a funeral, is considered to be utterly humiliating, it is never, ever applied. Fikret and his entire family become subjects of ridicule. Fikret, who is practically still a child, is decisive to "redeem his father's soul". Wishing to repay his father's debt and to secure the forgiveness, Fikret wanders into the real world of Sarajevo, the world that is ruled by post-war chaos, misery and poverty and becomes an ideal target for two corrupted policemen who wish to "help" him: they plant the kidnapped girl on him.

Who’s in it. Summer in the Golden Valley stars Zana Marjanović as Sara, Emir Hadžihafizbegović as Hamid, Haris Sijarić as Fikret Varupa and Kemal Čebo as Tiki, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Summer in the Golden Valley has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Summer in the Golden Valley page.

If you liked it. Fans of Summer in the Golden Valley tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.