Lecture: Beyond East and West: A Brief History of Jugoslav Cinema

LECTURE in the GGS Teaching Assistantship Programme 2018:

Zerina Catovic: Beyond East and West: A Brief History of Jugoslav Cinema

(no regisration needed)

ABSTRACT

Cinema of the country that no longer exists represents an extraordinary metaphor and great source for learning history and/of film, since throughout the length of Yugoslavia’s existence, its film industry saw the development of several endemic cinematic styles and trends. During just a half of century, Yugoslavia created one of the leading cinematographies in Europe; from war movies, to the so-called “Black wave” until the contemporary cinema d’ auteur. Unusually rich tradition of socially engaged filmmaking created the vibrant world of the country’s unique film culture. Despite strong interference by authorities and nationalist propaganda, Yugoslav cinema originated remarkable pieces, which disobeyed to follow rules and submit to any party. Those movies even today represent a great sample for Film Studies, although often neglected. Through the film sequences from different decades, you will learn about symbiosis between cinema and politics, especially in communist state but also about unique strength of cinema to oppose conventional norms.