Celts tells a different story about 1990s Serbia than we have seen before. It eschews cinematographic spectacle, violence of corruption, and gangster culture (see Srđan Dragojević's Wounds) for a moving and humorous portrait of a family against the backdrop of social upheaval. It is autumn of 1993, and Serbia faces multiple crises: Yugoslavia is falling apart, war is raging in Bosnia and parts of Croatia, and Serbia and Montenegro are under international sanctions. Amidst these difficult and uncertain conditions, a family prepares to celebrate their youngest daughter Minja's eighth birthday. As the day progresses and guests arrive, the stakes of the film's microcosm are revealed: in the face of disappointments, both social and personal, adults and children alike never cease to struggle for beauty, happiness, and fulfilment even if these things prove fragmentary or elusive.
Tomović's directorial style is subtle and indirect, telegraphing the larger socio-political context through a domestic prism. Largescale changes are translated into everyday lived experience so that food shortages, economic hardship, and sanctions are signalled through brief, poignant scenes. Market prices of butter are too high for the family so Minja's birthday cake is made with margarine and the birthday sandwiches are topped with smuggled Hungarian ham supplied by the grandfather—who also trades in black market gasoline. Minja's father, a taxi driver, relies on this gasoline to work, but his passengers struggle to pay their fares. Minja and her classmates already show awareness of the sharpening class distinctions between those whose parents have managed to profit from the turbulence and those have lost out. Even the fact that Minja chooses to have a costume party—a failed attempt to create an alternative playful world—becomes a sticking point for parents who don't have the financial means for this expense.
Tomović's deft directorial touch is on display in the film's more personal or intimate scenes. Minja's parents’ estrangement is conveyed in the first scene of the film where Marijana lies in bed masturbating while her husband showers. When he enters the room and realizes what she is doing, he observes her silently and then leaves, shutting the door behind him. The confined space of their bedroom conveys a sense of emotional distance. The audience's understanding of the couple's estrangement deepens over the course of the day as Tomović includes more scenes that point at their sexual frustration (possible impotence) and personal dissatisfactions (professional, domestic, gendered). These problems are compounded by the burden of social collapse which leave little possibility for agency or meaningful action.
The marital struggle between Marijana and her husband is overshadowed by the more vivid drama of a love triangle among their friends, whose thrilling love lives make the depiction of Marijana's marriage even more pronounced and poignant. The love triangle involves Ceca (Jelena Đokić) who arrives to find that her ex, Zaga (Nada Sargin), has come to the party with a new and younger lover, Tanja (Jovana Gavrilović). Tanja is bolder and edgier, and her presence is a provocation to Ceca, who ultimately seduces her ex Zaga later in the evening. The sex scene takes place in the same marital bed that seemed forlorn and empty earlier in the day. Tomović refreshingly handles the LGBTQ story without drawing attention to difference: these women and Mirjana's brother Neša (Nikola Rakočević) who is involved with a man (Slaven Došlo) are simply part of the same friend group. Homosexuality is never attacked, defended, explained, nor even discussed.
Celts did not secure distribution in Serbian cinemas, despite being co-funded by the government agency Film Center Serbia. By contrast, Tomović has received multiple awards and much recognition at international film festivals. Despite the limited screenings, the critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive. The film has been rightly praised for its excellent ensemble cast, sharp and natural dialogue, as well as excellent narrative pacing (Tomović co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Tanja Šljivar). Tomović's attention to period detail—spanning fashion, music, forgotten TV personalities, and the global appeal of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—deepens the portrayal of the 1990s and adds another dimension to a subtle portrait of a very particular moment in time.
