MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Mesmero · Admit oneMovie
MovieWFMesmero

When Father Was Away on Business

Movie · 1985 · 136 min

A warm, bittersweet childhood memory filtered through political paranoia, mixing gentle comedy with quiet heartbreak.

About
1985 film by Emir Kusturica
Admit oneWhen Father Was Away on Business
Class
Movie
Year
1985
Runtime
136 min
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • warmstrength 2 of 3
  • satiricalstrength 2 of 3
  • absurdstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • family
  • coming-of-age
  • politics
  • betrayal
  • memory
Places
  • small town
  • home
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • nonlinear
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action2
Horror1
Humour5
Realism8
Romance4
Tension4
Darkness6
Complexity6
Emotional weight7

Details

Genres
comedy drama, coming-of-age
Directed by
Emir Kusturica
Written by
Emir Kusturica, Abdulah Sidran
Starring
Mira Furlan, Mirjana Karanović, Miki Manojlović, Mustafa Nadarević, Pavle Vuisić, Davor Dujmović, Zoran Radmilović, Eva Ras
Music
Zoran Simjanović
Cinematography
Vilko Filač
Runtime
136 min
Country
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Languages
Serbo-Croatian

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata

More like this

Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Time of the Gypsies

Movie · 1988

Same director: Emir Kusturica · Melancholic, warm · about family and coming-of-age

A wild, dreamlike coming-of-age journey that swings between earthy comedy and sudden heartbreak, leaving a bittersweet ache.

Via
  • Same director: Emir Kusturica
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • coming-of-age
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
135 min
Admit oneTime of the GypsiesIn your watch list
Time of the GypsiesHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Good Bye Lenin!

Movie · 2003

Melancholic, warm · about family and politics · nonlinear

A warm, bittersweet tragicomedy that balances gentle humour with poignant family drama, filtering political upheaval through a tender personal lens.

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • politics
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
125 min
Admit oneGood Bye Lenin!In your watch list
Good Bye Lenin!Hidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Underground

Movie · 1995

Same director: Emir Kusturica · Melancholic, satirical · about betrayal · nonlinear

A wild, tragicomic epic that sweeps you through decades of chaos with surreal humor and heartbreaking loss.

Via
  • Same director: Emir Kusturica
  • melancholic
  • satirical
  • betrayal
  • nonlinear
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
163 min
Admit oneUndergroundIn your watch list
UndergroundHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Closely Watched Trains

Movie · 1966

Melancholic, satirical · about coming-of-age · nonlinear

A wry, tender coming-of-age tale set against the quiet absurdities of wartime occupation, blending gentle comedy with sudden tragedy.

Via
  • melancholic
  • satirical
  • coming-of-age
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
92 min
Admit oneClosely Watched TrainsIn your watch list
Closely Watched TrainsHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Black Cat, White Cat

Movie · 1998

Same director: Emir Kusturica · Melancholic, warm · about family

A wild, boisterous ride full of absurd situations and vibrant characters, yet with a warm heart and a sense of melancholy underneath.

Via
  • Same director: Emir Kusturica
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
123 min
Admit oneBlack Cat, White CatIn your watch list
Black Cat, White CatHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Amarcord

Movie · 1973

Melancholic, warm · about family and coming-of-age · nonlinear

A nostalgic, bittersweet carnival of memory, blending bawdy comedy and melancholy in a sun-dappled, foggy Italian town.

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • coming-of-age
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
127 min
Admit oneAmarcordIn your watch list
AmarcordHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Malèna

Movie · 2000

Melancholic, satirical · about coming-of-age and betrayal · nonlinear

A bittersweet, sun-drenched memory of adolescent longing and small-town cruelty, blending warmth with melancholy.

Via
  • melancholic
  • satirical
  • coming-of-age
  • betrayal
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
109 min
Admit oneMalènaIn your watch list
MalènaHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

I Vitelloni

Movie · 1953

Melancholic · about family and coming-of-age

A bittersweet, meandering portrait of small-town stagnation and quiet yearning, watched with a melancholic smile.

Via
  • melancholic
  • family
  • coming-of-age
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
100 min
Admit oneI VitelloniIn your watch list
I VitelloniHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Persepolis

Movie · 2007

Melancholic · about family and coming-of-age · nonlinear

A poignant, hand-drawn coming-of-age story that balances warmth and heartbreak while navigating revolution, exile, and the search for identity.

Via
  • melancholic
  • family
  • coming-of-age
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
95 min
Admit onePersepolisIn your watch list
PersepolisHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Loves of a Blonde

Movie · 1965

Melancholic, warm · about coming-of-age

A wry, tender slice of life that drifts between awkward comedy and quiet heartbreak, leaving a bittersweet ache.

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • coming-of-age
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
83 min
Admit oneLoves of a BlondeIn your watch list
Loves of a BlondeHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Fiddler on the Roof

Movie · 1971

Melancholic, warm · about family

A warm, bittersweet epic that sweeps you into a vanished world of song and sorrow, leaving a lump in your throat.

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
181 min
Admit oneFiddler on the RoofIn your watch list
Fiddler on the RoofHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

The Fabelmans

Movie · 2022

Melancholic, warm · about family and coming-of-age

A tender, bittersweet memory piece that unfolds gently, letting you watch a boy fall in love with movies while his family quietly comes apart.

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • coming-of-age
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
151 min
Admit oneThe FabelmansIn your watch list
The FabelmansHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Ashes and Diamonds

Movie · 1958

Melancholic · about betrayal · nonlinear

A somber, beautifully photographed slow drift through one night of doubt and doomed romance, heavy with the weight of history.

Via
  • melancholic
  • betrayal
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
97 min
Admit oneAshes and DiamondsIn your watch list
Ashes and DiamondsHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

One, Two, Three

Movie · 1961

Satirical · about family and politics

A rapid-fire, witty farce that keeps you laughing while feeling the Cold War tension underneath.

Via
  • satirical
  • family
  • politics
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
115 min
Admit oneOne, Two, ThreeIn your watch list
One, Two, ThreeHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Kolya

Movie · 1996

Melancholic, warm

A gentle, bittersweet story of an unlikely bond, blending quiet humour with political upheaval and tender emotional moments.

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
105 min
Admit oneKolyaIn your watch list
KolyaHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Radio Days

Movie · 1987

Melancholic, warm · about family and coming-of-age · nonlinear

A gentle, nostalgic drift through childhood memories and radio voices, funny and wistful, glowing warmly even as it fades.

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • coming-of-age
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
88 min
Admit oneRadio DaysIn your watch list
Radio DaysHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Toni Erdmann

Movie · 2016

Melancholic, warm · about family · nonlinear

A long, awkward, deeply human comedy where cringe and tenderness sit side by side, and you never quite know whether to laugh or wince.

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • nonlinear
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
162 min
Admit oneToni ErdmannIn your watch list
Toni ErdmannHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Marriage Italian-Style

Movie · 1964

Melancholic, warm · about family and betrayal · nonlinear

A bittersweet, witty romance that unfolds over decades, blending sharp comedy with deep emotional currents.

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • betrayal
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
102 min
Admit oneMarriage Italian-StyleIn your watch list
Marriage Italian-StyleHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Burnt by the Sun

Movie · 1994

Melancholic · about family and betrayal

A sun-drenched summer idyll slowly curdles into dread, as a charming intruder turns a family gathering into a quiet, devastating reckoning.

Via
  • melancholic
  • family
  • betrayal
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
145 min
Admit oneBurnt by the SunIn your watch list
Burnt by the SunHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

The Tin Drum

Movie · 1979

Melancholic, satirical · about coming-of-age and betrayal · nonlinear

A strange, unsettling fable that drifts between grotesque comedy and wartime horror, demanding patience as it builds its disturbing, dreamlike spell.

Via
  • melancholic
  • satirical
  • coming-of-age
  • betrayal
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
162 min
Admit oneThe Tin DrumIn your watch list
The Tin DrumHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Jojo Rabbit

Movie · 2019

Melancholic, warm · about family and coming-of-age

A bright, funny child's-eye view that slowly darkens into heartbreak, balancing absurd comedy with genuine grief and hope.

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • coming-of-age
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
108 min
Admit oneJojo RabbitIn your watch list
Jojo RabbitHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

The Mirror

Movie · 1975

Melancholic · about family and memory · nonlinear

A slow, dreamlike drift through memory and history that rewards patience with haunting images and quiet sorrow.

Via
  • melancholic
  • family
  • memory
  • nonlinear
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
108 min
Admit oneThe MirrorIn your watch list
The MirrorHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

Grbavica

Movie · 2006

Melancholic · about family

A quiet, devastating look at a mother and daughter carrying invisible war wounds, told with restraint and deep compassion.

Via
  • melancholic
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
107 min
Admit oneGrbavicaIn your watch list
GrbavicaHidden from your suggestions.
Mesmero · More like thisMovie

From When Father Was Away on Business

To

The Last Picture Show

Movie · 1971

Melancholic · about family and coming-of-age

A quiet, aching look at small-town lives fading away, leaving a lingering sense of loss and tenderness.

Via
  • melancholic
  • family
  • coming-of-age
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
118 min
Admit oneThe Last Picture ShowIn your watch list
The Last Picture ShowHidden from your suggestions.