LJUBLJANA: A 5-episode TV series about the grotesque dynamic within a typical Slovenian family is now completed. Aristocracy / Plemstvo was written by Iza Strehar, directed by Žiga Virc, and backed by the Slovenian Film Centre.
When four adults return home for their sister’s wedding and the inevitable farewell to their dying grandfather, they find themselves caught in a maze of family rules, strange traditions and eerie apparitions that spiral out of control. Amidst the hellish wedding preparations, crumbling relationships and secrets creeping out of every corner of the castle, the carefully polished family façade begins to crumble.
Aristocracy brings together Maruša Majer (Berlinale Shooting Stars in 2017), Nataša Burger, Andraž Jug, Živa Selan, Ana Urbanc and American actress Raye Spielberg, among others.
“Using horror, black comedy and psychological drama, we explore how reality often breaks down in a family environment: sometimes into the grotesque, sometimes into the terrifying, and often into something we want to hide. Aristocracy takes place over the course of just four days, creating an intense, condensed narrative where the characters have nowhere to run from themselves or from their heritage,” said Virc and Strehar in a joined statement.
Iza Strehar and ŽigaVirc produced the series through the production company LILIT, having Raye Spielberg as associate producer, and financial support from the Slovenian Film Centre.
The series was filmed between October and December 2025 in and around Ljubljana.
ŽigaVirc is known for merging documentary and fiction in sharp, ironic, and empathetic ways. He gained early recognition with Trieste Is Ours! (2009), a Student Academy Award 2010 finalist. His first long film Houston, We Have a Problem! (2016, Studio Virc, Nukleus Film, Sutor Kolonko) premiered at Tribeca, became the Slovenian Academy Awards 2017 candidate, and is was acquired by Netflix. In 2023, he co-founded Lilit, a production company for auteur-driven works. Recently, he finished the documentary series Heroines (2024, Lilit), and produced and directed the feature film Stealing Land (2025, Lilit), which premiered at FilmFestival Cottbus 2025. He is currently developing the feature film Purgatory.
Production Information:
Producer:
Lilit (Slovenia)
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Credits:
Director: ŽigaVirc
Screenwriter: Iza Strehar
DoP: Fabris Šulin
Editor: Špela Murenc Škulj
Production designer: Gregor Nartnik
Costume designer: Tina Hribernik
Make-up artist: Tinka Prpar, Marta Šporin
Cast: Maruša Majer, Nataša Burger, Andraž Jug, Živa Selan, Ana Urbanc, Raye Spielberg, Tines Špik, Jure Rajšp, Nika Manevski, Bine Matoh
