The Box Office is open from 16:30 till 21:30 (will open in 03:55).

Secret Ingredient Isčelitel

Gjorče Stavreski / North Macedonia / 2017 / 104 min

An amusingly provocative crime comedy containing a hefty dose of Balkan humour, Secret Ingredient addresses the issues of family ties, Macedonia’s crumbling health system and the magical powers of marijuana.

festivals, awards Thessaloniki 2017 (Audience Award), Tallinn 2017, Sofia 2018 (Special Mention), Santa Barbara 2018 (Best International Feature)

Vele is an underpaid train mechanic who occasionally engages in shady dealings. He can’t afford to buy expensive medications for his father, a cancer patient. Desperate, he steals marijuana from some criminals, makes a cake with it and gives it to him, hoping it will reduce the pain. His father’s health miraculously improves, but Vele is suddenly confronted by their neighbours, who demand the recipe for the “remedial” cake, and by the criminals, who want their drugs back. The greatest challenge, however, is to persuade his father that his life is worth living for.

“I /…/ was extremely careful to achieve balance on the issue. I portrayed both extremes, but it was important for me to position myself in the middle, and on the side of medicine and science. /.../ Still, the film was positive PR for marijuana. Through the humour, this topic reached older audiences who have realised that it is not a taboo. /…/ The father-son relation in the movie is very similar to that between my mother and I. /…/ It is a specific Balkan or maybe Mediterranean love. The parent wants to see you grow up and be independent on the one hand, but on the other, doesn’t let go of you.” (Gjorce Stavreski)

Gjorče Stavreski
Born in in 1978 in Skopje. He graduated in film direction from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Skopje. A film and video professional, Stavreski has made numerous shorts, documentaries and commercials, and founded Fragment Film production company. He was a math prodigy as a child. The filmmaker claims to be an avid photographer and a Sudoku nerd. Secret Ingredient is his fiction feature debut.

Kinodvor. Newsletter.

Join our mailing list and receive details of upcoming films and events!

What's On

Film Under the Stars / Replacement Screening

Wisdom of Happiness Wisdom of Happiness

Barbara Miller, Philip Delaquis

Monday, 04. 08. 2025 / 17:30 / Main Hall

With disarming wit, the Dalai Lama reflects on balancing millennia-old Tibetan Buddhist traditions with the contemporary values of our globalised society that now struggles to overcome violence and war while standing on the brink of environmental collapse. In this intimate heart-to-heart, the nearly 90-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate and the world’s greatest ambassador for compassion brings a timely message of hope. Wisdom of Happiness blends the Dalai Lama’s inspirational words with stirring images of our planet and newly unearthed archival footage.

Additional Screening

A Real Pain A Real Pain

Jesse Eisenberg

Tuesday, 05. 08. 2025 / 19:00 / Main Hall

Two estranged cousins join a guided tour of Poland to pay tribute to their beloved grandmother. Oscar for the Best Supporting Actor and a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Additional Screening

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies Lahn Mah

Pat Boonnitipat

Tuesday, 05. 08. 2025 / 21:00 / Main Hall

A young Thai director wraps important questions about family, intergenerational ties, and the pursuit of happiness into a touching dramedy that broke all box office records at home and became a cultural phenomenon. Bring your grandma – and don’t forget the tissues!