LJUBLJANA: Slovenian director Aleš Žemlja has finished shooting Totalna rulerka, a six-episode coming-of-age TV series. A story of ninth graders in the Slovenian countryside, the series combines elements of drama and adventure while pointing out responsibility and solidarity.
The life of 14-year-old Tara is turned upside down when she moves to a remote village for the summer. Without her old friends and the rhythm of the city, she faces dangerous roads, loneliness and hostility from her peers. When she crashes her scooter, her neighbour Žan comes to her aid, but jealous Kristina makes her life miserable. Caught between her desires and reality, Tara finds allies, discovers the power of connections and, with her grandmother’s help, convinces the mayor to build a bike path, which changes the village and her.
Gaja Plešnik, Gal Bradač, Nastja Katarina Tepina, Sofia Luna Valdes, and Julija Henigman are in the main cast.
“The main character of the series is an active citizen who knows how to observe, make decisions and take the initiative. She represents a heroine of today, she is like a volunteer in solidarity campaigns. Solidarity is something that transcends social, political, and societal frameworks, erases borders and connects people. Through the content of the series, I want to explore the question of what divides us and what connects us,” tells director Aleš Žemlja.
Totalna rulerka is produced by Saša Grmek through the production company Art 7 video, with the financial support of the Slovenian Film Centre.“The budget is estimated at 150,000 EUR,” producer Saša Grmek told FNE.
The series was filmed between 10 April and 3 May 20256 in Grosuplje and its surroundings.
The premiere is scheduled for the autumn of 2026 on the Slovene national television RTV Slovenija.
Aleš Žemlja is a Slovenian director and screenwriter. He directed the documentaries Peak of the Julian Alps / Vrh Julijcev (2024), En Route of Memories / V smeri spominov (2024, Art 7 video), and The Way Home / Pot domov (2022, Art 7 video).
Production Information:
Producer:
Art 7 video (Slovenia)
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Credits:
Director: Aleš Žemlja
Screenwriter: Lev Mastnak Trobentar
DoP: Saša Grmek
Editor: Marko Hočevar
Make-up artist: Polona Slabe
Costume designer: Vesna Mirtelj
Sound designer: Klemen Grmek
Cast: Gaja Plešnik, Gal Bradač, Nastja Katarina Tepina, Sofia Luna Valdes, Julija Henigman, Vid Sodnik, Irena Mihelič, Juš Milčinski, Nik Škrlec
