Set in the picturesque landscape of Bela Krajina, the story follows ten-year-old Lutvik, played by the unforgettable Igor Samobor. Lutvik spends his summer helping his grandmother pick strawberries. However, his summer takes an exciting turn when he meets Majda, a confident and slightly older city girl spending her holidays in the village.
The movie centers on (played by Irena Kranjc), a typical 15-year-old girl navigating the complex transition from childhood to adolescence. Set against the backdrop of a changing socialist society, Jagoda’s life is filled with universal teenage experiences:
Communities sharing digitized VHS tapes or old television broadcasts.
However, life becomes complicated for Jagoda when her burgeoning sexuality collides with the realities of adult expectations. She falls deeply in love with a slightly older man named (played by Metod Pevec), whose name fittingly translates to "Dear". Initially, their relationship seems like a perfect fairy tale, but soon cracks begin to show. Dragi, unlike Jagoda, has serious intentions. He is not interested in light teenage flirtation; he wants a child and is ready to settle down. This revelation shatters Jagoda's romantic illusions, forcing her to confront the stark difference between childish love and adult responsibility.
Jagoda seeks romantic affection, but Dragi has much more mature physical intentions. Meanwhile, Nejc spirals into deep despair over his unrequited love and a difficult relationship with his father. ko zorijo jagode 1978 okru
Released in 1978, Ko zorijo jagode (Strawberry Time) stands as one of the most significant and beloved Slovenian youth films of the Yugoslav era. Directed by , the film captured the spirit of the late 70s, tackling themes of adolescence, burgeoning sexuality, and the generational divides that defined the coming-of-age experience in socialist Slovenia.
While many Hollywood youth movies of the late 1970s sanitized teenage life, Ko zorijo jagode took a much more progressive European approach to adolescence.
Film historians note that Ranfl aggressively sexualized the standard youth drama formula. The movie famously includes dreamlike, intimate aesthetic sequences—such as Jagoda’s shower scene—evoking western art-film influences like David Hamilton or Brian De Palma's Dressed to Kill .
Ko zorijo jagode holds a special place in the canon of Slovenian cinema. It captures a specific moment in time—both in the history of Yugoslavia and in the broader context of 1970s European youth culture. The late 1970s was a period of shifting cultural tides, and the film beautifully reflects the changing attitudes towards youth autonomy, gender roles, and personal freedom. Set in the picturesque landscape of Bela Krajina,
The screenplay for the film was written by the renowned author . He adapted it from the popular 1974 youth novel of the same name, written by author Branka Jurca .
Upon its release, Ko zorijo jagode was a significant success. In Ljubljana alone, over viewers saw it during its initial run, and across the entire former Yugoslavia, the film attracted more than 200,000 moviegoers.
The film's legacy, however, is tied to its okru —its environment or cultural context. Dr. Peter Stanković noted the film is important as the "first filmic portrayal of the Slovene socialist middle class flirting with consumerism" . The characters' homes, clothes, and aspirations reflected a society on the cusp of change, moving away from post-war austerity and towards a more Westernized, consumer-driven culture.
Based on the novel by Branka Jurca; screenplay by Ivan Potrč Starring: Irena Kranjc, Roman Goršič, and Metod Pevec The movie centers on (played by Irena Kranjc),
The film stands out for its fearless, unfiltered look at teenage sexuality, bodily autonomy, and emotional rebellion during the late 1970s.
Official database entry at the Slovenian Film Database (BSF) . Strawberry Time (1978) - IMDb
Jagoda finds herself infatuated with Dragi (Metod Pevec), an older boy who represents romanticized maturity. Meanwhile, her close peer Nejc (Roman Goršič) harbors deep unrequited feelings for her while battling intense domestic isolation.