Something Red: Film Review
Slovenian director Jan Fabris returns to Top Shorts with his new 28-minute film, Something Red. Fabris is one of the rare filmmakers to win our festival with four different films, following The Disappearance of Evelin Gale (2023), Lev Berger (2025), and Cold Blue (2025). His latest project, co-written with Suzana Kokalj, proves once again why his storytelling is so captivating.
The film follows Sandra (Jara Sofija Ostan), a young woman who unexpectedly discovers a strange family secret after her mother passes away. This discovery makes her re-examine her entire identity. She is not only grieving her mother but also the life she thought she had.
Something Red is a poetic, non-conformist exploration of grief, desire, and the complexities of human relationships. The film tackles an uncomfortable, deeply taboo dynamic between Sandra and Boris (Miha Rodman), yet it handles the subject with remarkable restraint. Rather than sensationalizing the story or forcing the audience to make a moral judgment, it allows its characters to dance around what remains unspoken.
With his precise directing, Jan manages to pull the audience into a fascinating journey. Using very few characters, he successfully touches the heart and gives us a genuine glimpse into the characters' souls. The strong performances from the cast, which also includes Laura Ivančič as Nina, ground the story and keep it completely human.
Visually, the film is exceptionally well executed. The cinematography by director of photography Tristan Dragan and the production design by Jana Furman work together to create a beautifully simple experience, supported perfectly by a minimalist original score by Ruslan Perezhilo. The symbolism of the color red is especially effective. From the red lamp in the opening scene to the moments when Sandra and Boris both wear red, the color serves as a visual language for the unspoken tension between them.
Something Red does not ask us to judge its characters. Instead, it invites us to observe their complex reality. It leaves the viewer wanting more, which is one of the greatest compliments a short film can receive. It feels like the opening chapter of a feature film that we would genuinely love to see.
Something Red recently won two awards at the October 2026 edition of Top Shorts: Best Indie Film and Best Actress for Jara Sofija Ostan.
