Before The Rain

Set in Macedonia and London, Before the Rain, by Milčo Mančevski, is a fictitious, non-linear, three-part film about passion, loyalty and perceived immunity to violence. Within its two love stories lie the harsh reality of human nature when faced with economic, political and social unrest. Before the Rain appears at the surface to be a documentary that addresses “age-old hatreds” in Macedonia, but according to Keith Brown in his article Macedonian Culture and Its Audiences, “armed bands of this kind were not operating [in Macedonia at this time]”. Milčo Mančevski meant it more as a “warning” of the “potential future” according to Brown. In his introduction to the film’s screenplay, Milčo Mančevski writes the following about the perception that the film is a documentary:

“In almost all interviews I gave for newspapers and tv in dozens of countries over the final years of the last century I kept repeating that Before the Rain is not a documentary about former Yugoslavia, nor about Macedonia, nor is it a documentary at all. I would say: ‘You can see this from the aesthetic approach: it’s shot like a fairytale; look at the camera work, or the editing, or the music. I am using actors. It’s scripted, for Heaven’s sake.’ Who got it - got it.” Milčo Mančevski, Introduction to the published screenplays - published by Slovo 2003.

Richard B. Woodward in his article, Slav of New York, described Before the Rain very well when he writes that it is like an Escher drawing. It is extremely difficult to find a beginning or an end in this film. Milčo Mančevski has given us a twisted, circular film that is full of violence and passion and is wide open for interpretation. Here is how the three parts unfold:

Words: A young, boyish-looking, Albanian, Muslim woman named Zamira flees Macedonian captivity and seeks refuge in an Orthodox Monastery in the room of Kiril, a Macedonian monk who has taken a vow of silence. In a nearby village, there is a funeral for two men (Kirov is one of them) with many villagers grieving at their coffins and a grieving western-looking woman (Anne) standing at a distance. Zamira is discovered in Kiril’s room, and they are both banished from the monastery. While they attempt to flee, Zamira finds herself a victim of ethnic violence perpetrated by her grandfather and brother. Kiril is left hovering over Zamira’s body.

Faces: In London, Anne, a photographer originally from Macedonia, has photographs from Macedonia of Kiril leaning over Zamira’s body. In this scene, the love affair between Anne and Kirov, also a photographer originally from Macedonia, becomes evident. Kirov declares his desire to return to his Macedonian homeland, where he can live a simpler way of life, and he wants Anne to join him. Anne, staying in London, makes an effort to reconcile with her husband and share the news that she is pregnant. Their rendezvous at a local restaurant puts them in the line of fire of random urban ethnic (Balkan) violence. Anne is left a widow in London.

Pictures: In Macedonia, Kirov immediately witnesses firsthand how divided the people from his homeland are, Macedonians vs. Albanians. After several attempts to “civilize” their beliefs and the underlying conflict, he helps Zamira escape from his cousins’ captivity and makes it painfully clear that he is unable to change and even perhaps understand their loyalty to their beliefs and the conflict. Kirov finds out that he is not immune to the fatal consequences of the ethnic fighting. Anne is left grieving Kirov’s death.