billcr12 Slovenka is the name used in ads by Aleksandra to hook up with men for money. She is a twenty three year old college student studying English, and like many girls around the world, finds it a way to pay her tuition. Her parents are divorced, she has a good relationship with her father, but hates her mother. She lies, cheats and steals, with no real moral compass.Nina Ivanisin is Aleksandra, and she drifts seamlessly through the film with a natural grace and charm. The story is depressing as she gets tangled up with local, dangerous gangsters who, at one point, dangle her out of the window of a high rise. Slovenka is a cold and dark view of humanity; this ain't Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts and her goofy smile. Ivansin is a real actress showing a full range of emotions. There is no happily ever after.

charlytully Obviously, SLOVENIAN GIRL director Damjan Kozole adheres closely to the Lars von Trier school of filmmaking: make the viewing experience as unpleasant at possible for the watcher. While a plot about an under-supported coed making her way through her higher learning by dabbling in the elder professions has been pulled off loads of times in an interesting fashion (CITY ISLAND comes first to mind among movies contemporary to SLOVENIAN GIRL), it usually requires an erotic element to nail such a story down. Unfortunately, Nina Ivanisin as the title character in Kozole's film does not strike one as a convincing 20-euro-a-crack call girl, let alone meriting the 200 euro specified in this story. Further, the actors playing her johns seem hard-pressed to avoid demanding their money back during the few parting scenes Kozole incorporates into SLOVENIAN GIRL. Last night I saw a similarly-themed film from Israel (THE ASSASSIN NEXT DOOR, written and directed by Danny Lerner). Though Olga Kurylenko as the latter title character has NO sex scenes in her guise as an erstwhile hooker, she exudes more erotic appeal than Ivanisin manages during the entire running time of SLOVENIAN GIRL.

Andres Salama A 23 year old Slovenian girl, originally from a small town there but now studying at the university in the capital of Ljubljana, supplements her life as a student with stints as a prostitute (to show how distasteful her job is, the filmmakers have all her clients to be fat and/or old). One of them is a famous politician, and when he dies of a heart attack when he was in a hotel room with her, she flees not before telling the police. She is soon searched by the authorities and by the news media as the mysterious Slovenian Girl. She is also on the run from two sleazy, violent pimps, who want her to work for them instead of independently. A former boyfriend is stalking her also, and her mother back in her hometown doesn't look too happy when she shows up for a visit. Only her rock musician father and a female friend (who are obviously ignorant of her side job) are there supporting her. And all of the time she's having money problems, including coming with money to pay for a loan she incurred in to buy an apartment.To me the movie works best as a showcase of the general aimlessness of many young people today, especially in the developed world. Without any spiritual or political belief, many young people today seem to fall into nihilism. The main actress is pretty, but it seems to me to be way too surly to be a prostitute. Shouldn't she at least feign she is a sweet girl in front of her clients (this is not a criticism of her acting, she clearly has been told to play her that way by the filmmakers). Alas, this surliness of her makes the audience not care too much of what happens to her. Still, this is an interesting, well made film, though not very emotionally involving.

johno-21 I saw this last month at the 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival and writer/director Damjan Kozole was at my screening for an audience Q&A following the film. Aleksandra (Nina Ivanisin) who is called Sasha is a pretty 23 year old college student from the town of Krsko who is studying in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. To live in nice uptown apartment is above her economic means so to do so she becomes a call girl and advertises her services under the name 'Slovenian Girl'. It's Slovenia's turn to preside over the European Union so Sasha feels she could make a lot of money from European diplomats and businessmen who are in the capital during Slovenia's E.U. presidency. One of her clients is an overweight older German diplomat who dies from a heart attack while in her company. She calls the hotel's front desk to report it and splits before they arrive. She becomes a national tabloid sensation as television and newspapers try to find the mysterious 'Slovenian Girl.' Two sinister pimps, Mile (Dejan Spasic) and Peter (Aljoša Kovacic) have their own plans for her. Her old boyfriend Grega (Uroš Fürst) wants to renew their romance. Her father Edo (Peter Museuski) is getting his old band back together with his best pal Zoravko (Primoz Pirnat) back home in Krsko. This is a moody and dark film with a great cast and story and a remarkable performance by Ivanisin who is in virtually every scene considering it's her first film role. great production design by Maja Moravec, cinematography by Ales Belak and editing by film vets Jurij Moskon and Adrija Zafranovic. nice soundtrack from the electronic music group silence. I would expect this to get distribution in American art house theaters. I would recommend it and give it an 8.0 out of 10.