# ‘THR Presents’ Q&A With Hana Jusic, Director of Croatian Oscar Contender ‘God Will Not Help’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/thr-presents-qa-with-hana-jusic-director-of-croatian-oscar-contender-god-will-not-help/
- Published: 2026-11-06T18:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T18:26:22+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hollywood Reporter
- Original article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hana-jusic-croatian-oscar-contender-god-will-not-help-1236747577/
- Topics: Entertainment, Horror

## Key points

- A Chilean widow unsettles a rural Croatian community in 1910.
- The film explores women’s roles and fear of outsiders.
- Its language barrier becomes a way for two women to connect.

## Summary

A Chilean widow arrives in a remote Croatian community in 1910, unsettling its patriarchal traditions in Hana Jušić’s film *God Will Not Help*. Croatia’s Oscar entry for best international feature, the period drama uses the clash to explore women’s position and how communities respond to outsiders.

Director Jušić said the idea began with Chilean actress Manuela Martelli, whose character Teresa returns to Croatia after a wave of emigration from the country to Chile. Teresa and local woman Milena cannot speak each other’s language, so they communicate through gestures and shared biblical references. Jušić also connected the story to contemporary Croatia, where the arrival of workers from the Philippines and Nepal has prompted reactions to people seen as unfamiliar.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.