Iva Radivojevic on the Continued Relevance of ‘When the Phone Rang’: ‘Forced Migration and Displacement Are Happening Everywhere’

At 10:36 a.m. on a Friday in 1992, an 11-year-old girl named Lana answers a phone call that profoundly impacts her life. This recurring motif is central to Iva Radivojević’s second narrative film, “When the Phone Rang” (2024), which is featured in the Locarno Film Festival’s Concorso Cineasti del Presente section.

The phone call signifies a double loss for Lana, as she simultaneously mourns her grandfather and the dissolution of her country. Cast into a state of displacement, Lana’s memories and sense of history begin to fragment.

In an effort to cope with the turmoil of migration, she becomes fixated on the phone call, holding onto it as her only anchor in a time when her identity and sense of home are under constant negotiation.

The film intertwines aspects of a travelogue with a reconstruction of memory, adopting a fluid, borderless form that speaks to a universal experience. Although the country in question is based on Yugoslavia, Radivojević intentionally leaves it unnamed in the film to highlight the global nature of such displacement.

Born in Serbia and currently residing in Lesbos, Greece, Radivojević has consistently explored themes of dislocation and identity in her work. Her latest film delves into her personal history for the first time, a journey sparked by her return to a familiar cultural setting. This return allowed her to confront unresolved trauma despite widespread global displacement.

To tell this deeply personal story, Radivojević returned to Serbia, working with a small crew and filming in her own apartment. She utilized memories, old friends, neighbors, and family photos to recreate the lost world of her childhood, ensuring these memories were preserved.

Radivojević frequently uses voiceover in her films, employing it here as a haunting presence that mirrors the migrant experience of shifting identities and languages. This narrative technique, along with the perspective of a child, adds emotional depth to the film.

The story captures moments of joy despite trauma, emphasizing the resilience of children and the impact of lost happiness. Radivojević shares her heartache with viewers, believing that acknowledging pain is a step toward healing.