You are here:

Stories from the Chestnut Woods

Name: Stories from the Chestnut Woods
Director: Gregor Božič
Released: 2019
Duration: 81 min

Representation Score

5.8/10

Fair

2019

Director

Gregor Božič

Runtime

81 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Stories from the Chestnut Woods is a sophisticated arthouse drama that avoids typical patriotic or institutional clichés. Set in post-war Europe, it explores displacement and social stagnation through imagination and emotional complexity. The film excels in moving away from rigid hierarchies, emphasizing emotional depth and individual freedom. By focusing on the fluidity of borders, it addresses themes of migration and seeking a better life. However, it lacks explicit representation of non-traditional gender identities or disabilities, focusing instead on metaphorical intimacy and subtext.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Stories from the Chestnut Woods have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film uses a dream-like narrative to emphasize emotional depth and loneliness. Though it avoids direct identity politics, the focus on subtext suggests a move away from strict assumptions about straight relationships.

How does Stories from the Chestnut Woods portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on a young woman's significant role in driving the plot as she navigates her environment. The male character is shown through a lens of melancholy rather than traditional dominance.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Stories from the Chestnut Woods?

Good

Set in the border region between Italy and Yugoslavia, the film explores complex geopolitical identities. The border symbolizes the fluidity of identity and human movement.

How does Stories from the Chestnut Woods represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative emphasizes personal morality and imagination over strict institutional or religious rules. It critiques nationalist constraints by highlighting individual ability to act and the movement of people.

Does Stories from the Chestnut Woods include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no information available regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender hierarchies by centering women's ability to drive the story and pursue a better life.
Uses geopolitical borders as a powerful metaphor for the fluidity of ethnic and national identity.
Prioritizes personal imagination and morality over rigid religious or state-imposed structures.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit confirmation or representation of non-traditional gender or LGBTQ+ identities.
Provides no documented evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
Relies heavily on subtext and metaphor rather than explicit social or identity-based representation.

Official Synopsis

In the mid-20th century, in a forested valley between Italy and Yugoslavia, a stingy widower befriends a young woman and helps her depart across the ocean to find there a better life. A chance encounter gives rise to a dreamy parable on loss, loneliness and the power of imagination.

How are these scores produced? →