Project Detail

Surviving Earth

Surviving Earth

Synopsis

Present day Bristol. A Serbian ex-addict turned drug counsellor uses his passion for Balkan music to stay afloat and fight his unrelenting demons. But will it be enough to maintain his most cherished relationship with his daughter?
Based on a true story, SURVIVING EARTH follows Vlad, a Serbian immigrant who came to the UK in the '90s after fleeing the Yugoslav Wars. An ex heroin addict and now drug counsellor living in the eclectic vibes of Bristol – he decides to start a balkan band with his friends from rehab and bring his roots and love for music to the city. A renegade by nature – he rebels against any systemic form and although the band is excelling, his responsibilities are rapidly falling apart – including the relationship with his daughter, Maria. Having always struggled with his past and self-forgiveness he must find reasons to stay afloat and the strength to fight against a potential relapse.
Official Selection SXSW Film & TV Festival 2025 - World premiere
Official Selection Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025
Official Selection Sarajevo Film Festival 2025

Details

Year
2025
Type of project
Features
Running time
100 min
Director
Thea Gajic 1st Feature
Producer
Aleksandra Bilic, Jamie Clark, Sophie Reynolds
Editor
Izabella Curry
Screenwriter
Thea Gajic
Director of Photography
Olan Collardy
Production Designer
Elena Muntoni
Sound
Sound Designer: Raoul Brand
Composer
Hugo Brijs
Principal cast
Slavko Sobin, Olive Gray, Ann Ogbomo, Arthur McBain, , Stuart Martin, Peter Coonan, Toni Gojanovi

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Supported by BFI, Film4

A My Accomplice and Sona Films production

c/o Bankside Films

Sales Company

Page updates

This page was last updated on 16th January 2026. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Female character standing in a dimly lit cathedral. My Heart Is Not Mine

Director: Salina Khan

Year: 2026

A hopelessly romantic bisexual author revisits the relationships that shaped his life while reflecting on his autobiographical book My Heart Is Not Mine. Torn between love, faith, and self-worth, he confronts the emotional imprint left by one man and two women who each claimed a piece of a heart that never fully belonged to him.

A close up of a woman looking down with a black background and "Nobody's Daughter" written in yellow Nobody's Daughters

Director: Juan Pablo Bedoya

Year: 2026

Santo is a respected religious clockmaker and moneylender in his village. He exploits families in debt by using charm and kindness. When they cannot repay him, he persuades them to send their underage daughters to work as maids to pay off the debt. Ultimately, he sexually enslaves them and throws them out on the street when they become pregnant. His latest victim is Cira, an 11-year-old blackberry picker whose mother has pawned their home and land. After Santo's death, Maria Luisa, one of his victims, with the help of Fernando, his childhood friend and lawyer, fights for justice. After a long court battle, justice has finally been served, but not for everyone. Based on a real story.

Dawn is given a neck crick by the Art Teacher Untitled Woman

Director: Camille Summers-Valli

Year: 2026

Dawn is invisible to those around her in a world that favours youth. She fights back to be seen in the most unexpected of ways.