With sublime imagery from beginning to end, At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking is a slow observational documentary that becomes a powerful snapshot of solitude and melancholy – an emotionally painful yet beautiful film.

An older man lives alone in a house at the edge of a village. Set amidst a relentless wintery landscape, he works long, exhausting hours in the surrounding forests with his faithful horse. The monotonous rhythm of his daily life yields a silent dialogue between man and nature, bringing to life deep-rooted memories. His isolation unifies him with nature—an ode to the Bosnian hills.

The cinematography in At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking, masterfully crafted by Maja Novaković, is a sight to behold. Filled with long shots that beautifully capture the solitude of Emin Bektic, it’s impossible not to be captivated by the overwhelming beauty on screen.

Despite this, you can’t help but feel that a portion of At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking feels constructed for our benefit rather than to really make us feel something towards Emin. A still shot of a wedding picture as the mountain of cobwebs blow around loosely has power toward it, but not for over 50 seconds. Instead of allowing the viewer to feel for him naturally, Novaković occasionally slips into that forced nature that doesn’t ever feel required.

Having those moments within the film may feel necessary, but at times, they cause a distraction; it is not a layer that is required, for there is more than enough for the audience to work with in this film. Emin sat looking into the nothing of his dark him as his straggly beard and hair covered him almost like a shield to the real world is more than enough.

However, the inclusion of these dream sequences, while seemingly out of place in a documentary that revels in its sparseness, serves a purpose. They provide a glimpse into Emin’s subconscious, offering a deeper understanding of his inner turmoil and the emotional weight of his solitude. When the film focuses on the gradual decline of its surroundings, it becomes vital. We watch for what feels like an excessive amount of time as Emin tries to cut down a tree. His strength is slowly leaving him as he enters his elder years, yet he continues on. We see his home and his huts neglected and crumbling, but they are still holding together, for now at least. It’s all so interesting and rewarding.

It could be argued that she is trying to have her audience sit and look a little deeper while these moments glacially move past us; this is the danger of filming a documentary in such a starkly observational manner. We understand the themes she brings to the screen, the isolation from others (except animals). You would imagine that the lack of explanation from Novaković about, well, anything to do with Emin would hinder the overall film. In fact, it does the opposite. Yes, it leaves an air of mystery, but after 80-odd minutes with the man, you feel like you understand him.

At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking is a watch for the patient amongst you; you need patience to allow these cold and unyielding surroundings to envelope you; only then does it begin to captivate in a manner it should. Novaković isn’t aiming for big and bold here; instead, we watch an older man make by in an environment he probably shouldn’t be in. Emin looks small and weak in a lot of the film, as if he is dragging himself to where he needs to be next—a small but necessary person in a large expanse of snow and trees. Rather aptly, Novaković keeps her camera on the other small things in his life. Be it Emin’s chair, always just there with a glint of daylight breaking through the window and doorway onto it.

Also, he should continue to focus on the animals around him, be it a moth on a pillow or two little dogs huddled close by a warm fire weaving from side to side as they look for comfort in an environment so harsh and a man who seems to want to have human companionship (an awkward failed invite for a brandy with a customer still burns). It is, in fact, his relationship with animals where we see that softer side of the man. He cares greatly for his horse, giving it fresher clothing than he would have for himself.

He talks, cuddles, and caresses his animal; there is genuine love between the two as if they keep each other going, making it all so beautifully sad. This is an emotionally and physically pained man who is desperate for comfort but, other than with animals, seems unable to convey that outwardly. We see him leave out food for little cats and dogs; there is a humanity there that feels like it yearns to come out, but something holds him back. Hell, he even lives on the outskirts of a village that, from what we can see, has electricity, yet there he is, sitting in the quiet stillness in the near needless darkness.

Novaković has made a visually stunning film, At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking. You simply cannot help but appreciate the work that we see on the screen. How it captures the calm and beautiful moments with the intensely painful ones is a feat of filmmaking.

★★★★

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