Café wars

Café Wars is set in the cities of Trieste in Italy and Ljubljana in the neighboring republic of Slovenia. It examines the experiences of a group of artists and their friends in the early 1990s, during the breakup of Yugoslavia. Situated as they are on the border, some Triestines have historical and family connections in the region to the east, and as the reverberations from the conflict reach into the cafés and studios of the city, daily life is inevitably overshadowed. Artist Max Kravos is in love with the flamboyant and enigmatic Silvana, a woman of the Istrian diaspora, and is preparing a joint exhibition with her in Slovenia. Lorena, his partner - independent and ambitious, is seduced by the promise of big money to enter into dubious dealings with black marketeers. Nicky, a young New Zealander, gradually becomes drawn into their lives, shedding some innocence in the process.