Finally. Finally, Slovenia has its very own hit movie again. The comedy Kajmak in marmelada (Cheese and Jam) is homing in on the 25-year-old record of another domestic comedy that managed to beat out foreign competition in Slovenian movie theatres, To so gadi (Real Pests) of 1977. The movie that did not want to be a comedy, has turned out to be one because of the appearance of Branko "Djuro" Djurić, who is synonymous with good humour in Slovenia. Kajmak in marmelada is in fact a social drama and a story of love between a Slovenian woman and Bosnian man. It is a story about "Southerners" that could well be taking place anywhere in this world. So what has made people flock to the screenings of Kajmak in marmelada? This has been the subject of debates by sociologists, journalists, philosophers and film critics. But as Djuro points out, nobody has said that it is a good movie that does not stand out in any particular respects. Something that is not appealing will not attract tens of thousands of viewers. So why must we always look for something exceptional, extraordinary, and phenomenal? Is "simply good" not good enough anymore?

One example of how simple can also be attractive is the unique Slovenian puppets "lileki", which are in a league of their own in European puppetry, despite being far from anything extraordinary. These loveable puppets have recently rejuvenated the stages of puppet theatres around Slovenia with their simple freshness.

Slovenia is also in for some simply delightful sporting events this coming week with the Golden Fox trophy in women's World Cup skiing taking place this weekend at Pohorje and the European Men's Handball Championships getting under way in four Slovenian cities. Although Slovenia has staged its share of important sporting events in the past, sports fans are in for a real treat this time around, as Europe's best handball teams get ready to weave their magic in Slovenia.