Metka Trdin

A painter named Vlado paints a portrait of an unknown woman. When the portrait "becomes alive" and the woman in the painting shows up at the artist's exhibition opening, Vlado's life is turned upside down. As Vlado becomes involved in a passionate affair with the mysterious woman, he does not even notice that he has fallen into the trap of Zom, a para-psychological organization which controls the actions of individuals by entering their thoughts, which is the meaning of "passing". A whirlwind of curious events and unexplained suicides takes him into a world where reality and fantasy are intertwined, a world created by a manipulative international corporation. In the world where relationships are just a means to an end and death is only an illusion, control and power are of ultimate value. Vlado realizes that he cannot trust anyone and even doubts his own sanity. However, it turns out that the naive artist is not such an easy target.

Private detective Emil Marlovsek can boast a wealth of solved cases of run away and lost dogs. He is assisted in his work by his secretary Beba and Milivoj, a retired officer of the Yugoslav National Army. One evening, Emil encounters the beautiful Sara in the bar where he occasionally plays the piano and falls in love at first sight. The next morning Sara disappears. Not long after he is paid a visit by entrepreneur Grubelic whose wife is missing. Emil soon realizes that she is Sara and immediately starts to search for her. He discovers that Sara is being held prisoner by the mafia, on account of her husband's fishy business involving people in high places. The story's outcome is completely unexpected.

Embittered widower, Ludvik, spends his nights transporting illegal refugees in his van from Croatia, across Slovenia, and into Italy. The young and inexperienced Rudi acts as his helpmate. Together they become a well-trained duo who almost every night convey "spare parts" to Italy. Of course the story of their illegitimate exports into Europe ends tragically, for everyone. The whole idea of this account is that everyone - including ourselves - is looking for happiness: the "spare parts" because of the misery they are plunged into without, and our characters because they can't find it inside