National Movie Industries: Serbia


Figure 1.--A Belgrade museum had a display on movie making. This is a projector used in Serbian cinemas during the 1970s. It is a typical cinena 35mm projector. It was made by the Meopta company in Czechoslovakia during 1970. Although Tito had dfined Stalin (1948), Yugoslavia's trade was primarily with the Eat Bloc. A factor here is that the country's manufactured eports were not up to Western standards. The same was true of the other Estern Europen countrie, even Cechoslovakia which had an importnt indudtrial base.

We know very little about the Serbian movie industry. As far as we know, there was no national film industry of any importance before World War I. After the War, Serbia became part of Yugoslavia. We believe that there were some development, but most of the films shown were imported films, including American and German films. After World War II we believe that the Communist Government supported and comtrolled the film industry. Zvezda film (a federal enterprise), and Avala Alm and Lovcen film (Serbia and Montenegro republic enterprises) produced feature films and shorts. The Association of Film Artists of Serbia (UFUS) was laubched (1951). The Secoby Belgrade Cinema Club began making films (1964). Their first film was 'The Traitor' (Izdajnik) directed by Kokan Rakonjac. Gradually more republic studios appeared decentralizing production. Neoplanta Film began operations in Vojvodina (1972). Their first feature film was 'Traces of a Dark Girl' (Tragovi crne devojke) directed by Zdravko Randic. Kosovo Film's first feature was 'How to Die' (Kako umreti) directed by Miodrag Stamenkovic. The Yugoslav Government issues a new law--the Film Industry Law and Law on the Independent Performance of Artistic and Other Activities in the Field of Culture (1982). This somewhat loosened government control of film making. Individuals could organize into working communities TRZ (PWC) to produce films. The first and perhaps most important weas the Art Film of Belgrade. Other TRZs followed,mostly in specilized areas. Film producers were joined by deveral new distributors (Avala pro-film, Mumva film, Inex film, Zeta film, etc.), Beograd Film emerged as the biggest movie operators organisation. Some other enterproses (Decje novine pubiishing organisation, Association of Cinema Operators of Serbia, etc.) also produced occassional films. This was the time that Yugoslavia began breaking apart. After the other member states seceeded from Yugoslabia (1990s), Sebia became an independent country again. This had a major impact on the Serbian film industry, primrily because the potential market as substantially reduced, both individuals and movie theaters. Non Serbs in Crostia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and the other republics (except for Montenegro), affected by the wars and Serb attrocities no longer wanted to watch Serb films. This affected both the TRZs as well as the established studios (1991). The NATO sanctions on Serbia because of attrocities committed in Bosnia, Croata, and Serbia advervesly affected movie theaters, making it very difficult to obtaoin foreign films to show as well as projection equipment. The Radio and Television Organisation of Belgrade/Serbia (RTV Beograd / Srbija) became one of the most important film producers or co-producers. Another major co-producer was Avala film which was once the biggest producer in Serbia. It had the equipment and studios needed to make films. The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia attempted to help the industry throght subsidies. The Serbian film industry ws entirely privatized. The major studios are Cinema Design, MP Agency, Monte Royal Pictures, and Victoria Film. We know very little about individual Serb films. A reader tells us about a well-produced film he saw, 'Montevideo' (1992).

Film Industry

We do not yet have much informtion on the history of the Serbin movie industry. We have found some basic informtion. The industry was not substantial until after the War when the Coimmunist Government began to support, but of course also control the indistry. One problem that Yugoslav film makers have is language. There is a limited number of people who spek Serbo-Coatian. The potential market was basically limited to Yigoslavia itself. That is not a problem in large countries like America or even the larger European countries, but it is for many nmaller countrie. It limited the box office receipts and ultumately the amount of money tht producers can spend on productions. Like most of the former Communist countries, their films ere not widely distrubuted in the West. Thus we have seen only a few Yugoslav films. Since the fall of Communism, ome Serbian film hve received more attention in the West.

Early film industry: Kindom of Serbia (1895-18)

We know very little about the Serbian movie industry. Until after World war I, Serbia was an independent country. There was a film distribution system established in Serbia as far back as 1895. The French Luminar brothers first showed their films in Paris in 1895. This included the basic features of a modern movie, Screen and projector with a large audience seeing the same film at the same time. The Luminar film show reached Serbia 6 months later. The film was shown at a cafe in Belgrade. As far as we know, there was very limited film making in before World War I, but there were some. . The first films shot in Serbia were of Kalemegdan Castle and gardens, the tramway and people coming out of a tobacco factory. The films were screened (June 6. 1896). The people doing this were fairground showmen and the film show went from town to town bfore movie theaters existed. An early film maker was Stojan Nanic from Zajecar. He owned the first Serbian Movie Hall (1900). Many films shot around Belgrade were shown. At this time, films were all silent. Thus it was easy to show foreign films. An Englishman named Arnold M. Wilson was the honorary Serbian consul in Sheffield. His camerman was called Frank Mottershow. They made one of the first feature films shot in Serbia (1904). Their film is preserved in the National Archives. A reader in Serbia reports that Serbian movie makers made some romantic films before World war I.

Royal Yugoslavia (1918-41)

After World War I, Serbia became part of Yugoslavia. We believe that there were some development. A Serbian reader reports a film made during the 1930s about world War I that was made from the war movie photographers which recorded the Serbian army,especially during the Selonika campain at the end of the War. It has a musical sountrack. There were other documentaries made about Serbia. One was about the river boats that sailed the river Danube. Most of the feature films shown were imported films, including American and German films.

Communist Yugoslavia (1945-91)

After World War II we believe that the Communist Government supported and comtrolled the film industry, althogh we notice losening of comtrols with working groups by the 1980s. Zvezda film (a federal enterprise), and Avala Alm and Lovcen film (Serbia and Montenegro republic enterprises) produced feature films and shorts. The Association of Film Artists of Serbia (UFUS) was laubched (1951). The Secoby Belgrade Cinema Club began making films (1964). Their first film was 'The Traitor' (Izdajnik) directed by Kokan Rakonjac. Gradually more republic studios appeared decentralizing production. Neoplanta Film began operations in Vojvodina (1972). Their first feature film was 'Traces of a Dark Girl' (Tragovi crne devojke) directed by Zdravko Randic. Kosovo Film's first feature was 'How to Die' (Kako umreti) directed by Miodrag Stamenkovic. The Yugoslav Government issues a new law--the Film Industry Law and Law on the Independent Performance of Artistic and Other Activities in the Field of Culture (1982). This somewhat loosened government control of film making. Individuals could organize into working communities TRZ (PWC) to produce films. The first and perhaps most important weas the Art Film of Belgrade. Other TRZs followed,mostly in specilized areas. Film producers were joined by deveral new distributors (Avala pro-film, Mumva film, Inex film, Zeta film, etc.), Beograd Film emerged as the biggest movie operators organisation. Some other enterproses (Decje novine pubiishing organisation, Association of Cinema Operators of Serbia, etc.) also produced occassional films. Many of thefilms made during the Communist Yugoslav period had similar plots. There were a lot of films made for family viewing. Most of these films have a Balkan background where the plot is played out. The plots commonly involved rural communities and children out witting the rural peasantry. There is good comedy. One scene which would have children laughing in delight concerns a farmer who arrives at a tavern. He ties his horse to a tree and goes to have lunch. His back, of course ,is turned away from the horse. Meanwhile two boys who are carry camping equipment borrow the horse. The farmer returns and is not looking at his horse directly. He unties the reins and walks away. These have been tied to the rocks. Eventually the reins snap and the farmer realises his horse has gone. There were a lot of historical dramas filmed about Serbian freedom fighters of the 19th century. There is a very interesting film about a boy who helps old people to enjoy their old age. Much of the film was shot around Belgrade.

Modern Idependent Serbia (1991- )

This was the time that Yugoslavia began breaking apart. After the other member states seceeded from Yugoslabia (1990s), Sebia became an independent country again. This had a major impact on the Serbian film industry, primrily because the potential market as substantially reduced, both individuals and movie theaters. Non Serbs in Crostia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and the other republics (except for Montenegro), affected by the wars and Serb attrocities no longer wanted to watch Serb films. This affected both the TRZs as well as the established studios (1991). The NATO sanctions on Serbia because of attrocities committed in Bosnia, Croata, and Serbia advervesly affected movie theaters, making it very difficult to obtaoin foreign films to show as well as projection equipment. The Radio and Television Organisation of Belgrade/Serbia (RTV Beograd / Srbija) became one of the most important film producers or co-producers. Another major co-producer was Avala film which was once the biggest producer in Serbia. It had the equipment and sruidios needed to make films. The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia attempted to help the industry throght subsidies. The Serbian film industry after thecfallof Communism was entirely privatized. The major studios are Cinema Design, MP Agency, Monte Royal Pictures, and Victoria Film. Lots of TV films are currently being filmed about the inter-war years and the aftermath. Currently local produced films as well as U.S. and British releases of major films are shown at Shopping Mall cinemas. Many of these films are in English but Serbian is dubed onto the film. There is a 3D theatre and films filmed for this process are shown. Films for all children age ranges are sometimes hard to come by. 'Hugo' has not yet been shown but it is available as a DVD release. There is a thriving DVd market where current films can be had. There are numerous film libraries where DVD films can be hired. Current and historical Serbian films are readily available. The distribution of DVD films is sometimes of interest because very specialised films can be had. Therevis even a DVD about movie pioneers.

Individual Films

We know very little about individual Serb films at this time. We do not yet have many details about earky Yugoslave films We do have some information on films made in the very late-20th century. Hopefully our readers will be able to supply some information about films they have seen.

Battle of Kosovo (1989)

An epic film made in Serbia is the historical drama, the Battle of Kosovo about the Kosovo Polje .(1389). It is the most famous battle in Serbian history. The Ottomand destroyed the Serbian Army leading to the collpse of the medeivil Serbian Kingdom. Serbs as a result have an emotional attachment to Kosovo, a major factor in the Kosovo War (1998-99) which because of brutal Serb supression of Kosovars resulted in NATO intervention. It is pribably no accident that this film was made in 1989. s Communism ws beginning to unrvel in Estern Europe, the authoritarian Government policies that suppressed the nationslities question were no longer possible. And one of the issues Serbs ere primarily comcerned with ws the growing Albabnian population in Kosovo.

Motivedeo (1992)

A British teacher has provided information on this Serbian film. 'Montivedeo' in Serbian means a remote place and in the case of the film an unlikely event. The meaning is similar to the English phrase: 'If Pigs can Fly.' However this only refers to an unlikely event such as Accrington Stanley winning a football match! And of course for the film here it refers to the World Cup Football competions with finals held in Montervideo, Uruguay. The film is in Serbian so the dislog is lost on me but the female Serbian teachers I work with say they dn't like the language so about of profanity in the dialogue. It is not a family film if this is the case. The story is told in flash back. It is Yugoslovia 1930. The film starts with a Serbian youth who is a gifted football player. What he can do with a football is pure magic. However this is the end of the story. At the beginning of the story we see him as a young boy. He is a cripple. His leg is strapped up. He is very poor and shines shoes. His brother is a gifted football player and the hero of all the local boys who take great delight in playing football with him. The brother is selected to play for the Yugoslovia National Football team. There is an international match to be played in Belgrade, but the Yugoslovian team is the decided under dog. Hense the films title. It also appertains to the crippled boy who is not expected to walk normally. The crippled boys story is really a side issue the majority of the film is about the Yugoslovian team training and interpersonal relations. There are several scenes which show children's fashions at that time. Against all odds, the Yugoslavian team wins. There is an appeal for everyone to have their shoes cleaned by the shoeshine boy. He earns enough money to receive the medical treatment needed to make him walk perfectly and become a football wonder. We do not know a great deal about Serbian clothing. Thus we are not entirely sure about the accuracy of the costuming. The boy wears national costuing for a portrait with the team.

Tango in Argentino (1992)

'Tango in Argentino' is the film about the boy helping old people to meet other oldies so they will not be unhappy.

Uros Blesavt (1989)

The film about the village children borrowing a horse to carry their camping gear is called 'Uros Blesavt'. I think this is the name of the leading character in the story. There were a lot of Yugoslav films made for family viewing. Most of these films have a Balkan background where the plot is played out. The plots commonly involved rural communities and children out witting the rural peasantry. There is good comedy. 'Uros Blesavt' is a good exampleOne scene which would have children laughing in delight concerns a farmer who arrives at a tavern. He ties his horse to a tree and goes to have lunch. His back, of course ,is turned away from the horse. Meanwhile two boys who are carry camping equipment borrow the horse. The farmer returns and is not looking at his horse directly. He unties the reins and walks away. These have been tied to the rocks. Eventually the reins snap and the farmer realises his horse has gone.

Sources

'Serbian film production," CultureImpossible.com, accessed June 22, 2012.







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Created: 1:12 AM 6/22/2012
Last updated: 11:01 AM 7/6/2015