Two couples meet to discuss a harmless schoolyard game that suddenly turns political. As wine flows and tempers rise, their polite conversation unravels into chaos. What begins as a talk about children becomes a fierce battle over ideology, privilege, and moral superiority.

“The film was shot over two days, and only three months passed from the first idea to the final DCP copy. We consciously chose this approach; sometimes, a lengthy production process kills creative momentum and drains the original idea of a film. This time, we wanted to work quickly, directly, and without compromise. Thematically, the film is a critique of the West, constantly entangled in its own ideological webs, tripping over every word spoken, and engaging in petty power games, while grave issues such as genocide slip into just another verbal clash of ideologies,” says director Žiga Virc in a statement.

Stealing Land is produced by Iza Strehar and Žiga Virc through Lilit in coproduction with Zavod Olaola and Rok Biček through Zwinger film.

The shooting took place in December 2025.

Žiga Virc (born 1987, Novo mesto, Yugoslavia) is a Slovenian film director and producer known for blending documentary precision with playful fiction to question history, media, and power. His breakthrough feature Houston, We Have a Problem! (2016, Studio Virc, Nukleus Film, Sutor Kolonko) premiered at Tribeca, screened at Karlovy Vary, IDFA, BFI London, and other major festivals, becoming Slovenia’s Oscar® entry, and the first Slovenian film on Netflix. Virc gained early recognition with Trieste Is Ours! (2009), a Student Academy Award finalist. His short film A New Home (2016) premiered at Toronto IFF and won several festival prizes. In 2023, he co-founded Lilit, a production company for auteur-driven works. His award-winning short Kismet (2025) screened at Oberhausen, Curtas Vila do Conde, PÖFF Shorts, and Palm Springs ShortFest. Currently in preproduction on the drama series Aristocracy and in development with the feature film Purgatory, Virc continues to merge documentary and fiction in sharp, ironic, and empathetic ways.

Production Information:

Producer:
Lilit (Slovenia)
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Coproducers:
Olaola (Slovenia)
Zwinger (Austria)

Credits:
Director: Žiga Virc
Screenwriter: Iza Strehar
DoP: Fabris Šulin
Music: Andraž Jug
Editor: Luka Marčetič
Sound designer: Grega Švabić
Cast: Suzana Krevh, Tines Špik, Lara Maria Vouk, Andraž Jug, Florjan Strehar