I was not quite sure what to expect. Not great acting but the plot flows naturally. It really is a story about storytelling and a very nicely done mixture of the past and present. It might be said however that the director tried to do a little too much. The way the story is told from the memory and how the memories seem to die as the woman gets closer to dying is superbly done. It kept me thinking if a story exists if it is not told and whether a fictional story is not history after all. A main problem was the presentation of Ottoman characters in the movie. All they seemed to do was throw out evil laughters. A great deal of orientalism going on for sure. I especially laughed at the sunglasses the Ottoman officer was wearing on horseback at some point, I thought I was watching "Romancing the Stone."Overall a film worth watching. It is a nice breeze and an audacious effort.7/10

This is a very interesting movie. The plot is based on a story beginning in our times and is mixed with the past century Otoman presence in Macedonia, Europe. I watched it the first time and then once again with the subtitles on. At that point I understood a lot of things the actors were saying, thing that reveals all the story. But you should turn the subtitles on after you've watched it without them the first time. Suddenly you get everything from the movie and the whole plot is revealed to you. It's fabulous!!! Great job for Manchevski, who proves himself to be excellent and a unique director mixing oriental-European flavor and a western movie. The actors are excellent and the scenes shoot in Macedonia are really cool!!!

Eventually disappointed and confused by this flick, I have to give credit for the wonderful photography and a few good performances, particularly Adrian Lester.The violent scenes seemed an homage to "The Wild Bunch" and the music was quite good.This back and forward telling of the story spoiled the fluidity , confused things and trivialized the integrity of the story that wavered at the whim of the story teller.I have to ask WHY this woman had spent her life in poverty while hiding a kabillion dollars in gold in. . . .And why did the brothers have such animosity toward one another?Yikes!I admit, I now would like to see more of the director's work.

When we first put Dust into the DVD player and the film started, I wondered if maybe the video-rental store put the wrong dvd in the case. As the story progressed, I was enamored by the brilliant execution of story within story within story. The world needs more films like this, with semi-unfamiliar faces who don't need to work so hard convincing us that they are indeed this character they portray. This is one of those films people will still be talking about in 25 years; a monumental masterpiece that broke the grounds in straightforward plot-telling!!