Emir Kusturica
Encyclopedia
Emir Nemanja Kusturica (born 24 November 1954 in Sarajevo
) is a Serbian
filmmaker, actor and musician, recognized for several internationally acclaimed feature films. He is a two-time winner of the Palme d'Or
at Cannes
(for When Father Was Away on Business
and Underground), as well as being a Commander of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
.
Since the mid-2000s, Kusturica's primary residence is Drvengrad
, a village in the Mokra Gora
region of Serbia. He had portions of the historic village reconstructed for his film Life Is a Miracle
.
's Secretariat of Information, and Senka Numankadić, a court secretary, Emir grew up as the only child of a secular Bosnian Muslim family in Sarajevo
, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, then a constituent republic within Yugoslavia.
Emir was something of a delinquent
while growing up in the Sarajevo neighbourhood of Gorica, according to his own account. Through his father's friendship with the well-known director Hajrudin "Šiba" Krvavac, 17-year-old Emir got a small part in Krvavac's 1972 Walter Defends Sarajevo, a partisan film funded by the Yugoslav state.
After graduating from the Film Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
(FAMU) in 1978, Kusturica began directing made-for-TV television shorts in then-Yugoslavia
. He made his feature film debut in 1981 with Do You Remember Dolly Bell?
, which won the prestigious Golden Lion for Best First Work at that year's Venice Film Festival
. From 1981 to 1988, he was a lecturer at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo (Akademija Scenskih Umjetnosti) and art director of Open Stage Obala (Otvorena scena Obala).
His second feature film, When Father Was Away on Business
(1985), earned a Palme d'Or
at Cannes
and five Yugoslavian movie awards, as well as a nomination for an American Academy Award
for Best Foreign Film. Kusturica wrote the screenplays for both Do You Remember Dolly Bell? and When Father Was Away on Business in collaboration with Abdulah Sidran
. In 1989, Kusturica earned more accolades for Time of the Gypsies
, a film about Romani culture and the exploitation of their youth.
(1993). He won the Palme d'Or
for his black comedy epic, Underground (1995), based upon a scenario of Dušan Kovačević
, a noted Serbian playwright.
In 1998, he won the Venice Film Festival's Silver Lion for Best Direction for Black Cat, White Cat
, a farcical comedy set in a Gypsy (Romany) settlement on the banks of the Danube
. The music for the film was composed by the Belgrade-based band No Smoking Orchestra.
, a documentary road and concert movie about The No Smoking Orchestra, of which he is a band member. He was appointed President of the Jury of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
.
His film, Maradona
, a documentary on Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona
, was released in Italy in May 2007. It premiered in France during the Cannes Film Festival in 2008.
His film Promise Me This
premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
. During 2007, Kusturica prepared a punk opera, Times of the Gypsies. The premiere took place in June 2007, at the Opéra Bastille
in Paris. The next month, Kusturica directed the music video to Manu Chao
's single "Rainin In Paradize
", from the latter's forthcoming album.
On 8 September 2007, Kusturica was appointed a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia, alongside Ana Ivanović
, Jelena Janković
and Aleksandar Đorđević.
Since January 2008, Kusturica annually organizes a private Küstendorf Film Festival
. Its first installment was held at Drvengrad
, a village built for his film Life Is a Miracle
, from 14 to 21 January 2008.
His next film, Cool Water, is a comedy set against the background of a Middle East conflict. Filming started in November 2010 in Germany. It is the first time Emir Kusturica directed a film which he did not write.
At the 64th Cannes Film Festival
, held 11–22 May 2011, Kusturica presided over the jury of the Un Certain Regard
section of the festival's official selection. On 14 May, in Cannes
, he was invested with the insignia of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, the highest decoration in France.
. In 2002, Emir Kusturica appeared as an electric guitar player/security specialist in The Good Thief, directed by Neil Jordan
.
In the French movie L'affaire Farewell
(2009), he played the role of Russian KGB agent Colonel Sergei Gregoriev, the central focus of a web of intrigue between warring governments and rival spy agencies. He conveyed effortless charisma, authority and humor.
From 1986 until 1988, Kusturica played bass guitar in Zabranjeno Pušenje
, a rock band from Sarajevo
(SR Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Although Kusturica played a minor musical role in the band, he returned to the group following the Black Cat, White Cat
film and the band's name changed to Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra. In 1999, the No Smoking Orchestra recorded a new album, Unza Unza Time, produced by the Universal record company, as well as a music video, directed by Emir Kusturica. The band has been touring internationally since 1999.
The musician and composer Goran Bregović
has created music for three of Kusturica's films: Time of the Gypsies
, Arizona Dream
, which featured Iggy Pop
; and Underground.
. The launch took place on 26 October during Belgrade Book Fair and was attended by Nele Karajlić
, Dušan Kovačević
, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić
, Vojislav Koštunica
. Released only in Serbia
, Montenegro, and Republika Srpska
, the book was initially printed in 20,000 copies that were quickly sold. Second printing in 32,000 copies was out in November and it too sold within weeks. On 8 December, the third printing in 40,000 copies was out and promoted a day later at Belgrade's Dom Sindikata. In February 2011, fourth printing with further 10,000 copies was out and soon the sale of 100,000th copy was announced.
Translations were published in Italy on 30 March 2011 under the title Dove sono in questa storia ("Where am I in this Story"), in France on 6 April 2011 as Où suis-je dans cette histoire ?, and in Germany in September 2011 as Der Tod ist ein unbestätigtes Gerücht.
, including ethnic animosities during WWII. Some Bosnian and French critics claimed the film contained pro-Serb propaganda.
French philosopher and writer Alain Finkielkraut
, a supporter of the Croatian nationalist leader Franjo Tuđman, denounced the Cannes Film Festival's jury award, saying,
made a film criticizing Underground.
In a discussion with Bernard-Henri Levy, the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek
said,
The Bosnian
novelist Aleksandar Hemon
, who was born in Sarajevo
and emigrated to the United States before the war, said Underground downplays Serbian atrocities by presenting "the Balkan war as a product of collective, innate, savage madness."
’s propaganda during the Bosnian War
. Andrej Nikolaidis
, a Montenegrin writer and columnist, wrote in the weekly Monitor:
Kusturica sued Nikolaidis and the Monitor newspaper for civil damages at the Supreme Court of Montenegro. The journalist quoted Kusturica's numerous pro-Milošević public statements, and used photos of Kusturica hugging Jovica Stanišić
(chief of Serbian State Security Service). Stanišić is being tried for war crimes in the Hague. He also showed Kusturica with Milorad Vučelić (director of Serbian television) and Zoran Lilić
(at the time president of Yugoslavia). In the end, Nikolaidis was ordered to pay $6,490 to Kusturica for calling the famed director a "media star of Milosevic's war machinery". The judge ruled that the evidence was not credible enough. In the end Nikolaidis and the paper were fined 12,000 euros for breaking the code of journalism by calling Kusturica "stupid, ugly and corrupt" in the article. The Bosnian Writers Association sponsored a petition calling for the recall of the verdict, because they believed it denied basic human rights (of free speech). The petition was supported and signed by prominent intellectuals and many students from former Yugoslavia and abroad.
after being publicly criticized and accused by Turkish director Semih Kaplanoğlu
and Turkish minister of culture Ertuğrul Günay
over his alleged remarks and opinions about the Bosnian War
.
The criticism of Kusturica was started by an organization called the Turkish-Bosnian Cultural Federation as soon as Kusturica was announced as a jury member. The Turkish media reported that Kusturica repeatedly downplayed the number killed and the rapes of Muslim women. It was not clear when Kusturica was supposed to have made those comments, but the daily Milliyet
said Kusturica denied the allegations.
Public sentiment in Turkey was whipped up against Kusturica to the point that a couple of days after Kusturica left Turkey, there were news reports about a mob of Turkish youths in Antalya
physically assaulting Swiss actor Michael Neuenschwander (in town to promote his movie 180° – Wenn deine Welt plötzlich Kopf steht) because they mistook him for Kusturica due to apparent physical resemblance between the two. Later, Neuenschwander's press agent said there was no physical assault and that Neuenschwander was verbally abused by a small group.
Kusturica later commented on the incident:
On Đurđevdan (St. George's Day) in 2005, he was baptised
into the Serbian Orthodox Church
as Nemanja Kusturica (Немања Кустурица) in Savina monastery near Herceg Novi
, Montenegro. To his critics who considered this the final betrayal of his Bosnian Muslim
roots, he replied that:
Kusturica traces his family origin before the conversion to Islam, to the Babić family, precisely to a Kusturica that helped build the Arslanagić bridge in the 18th century, that hailed from Bileća
(He took the surname Kusturica when Islamized).
At the 2007 parliamentary elections
, he gave indirect support to Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica
and his right wing Democratic Party of Serbia
. In 2007, he also supported the Serbian campaign Solidarity - Kosovo is Serbia, a campaign against the unilateral separation of the Serbian province of Kosovo
.
He is currently living in Drvengrad
, Serbia, the village which he had built for his film Life Is a Miracle
. Kusturica holds Serbian and French citizenships.
As actor
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
) is a Serbian
Serbians
Serbians may refer to people who are identified with the country of Serbia, or people of the Serb ethnic group.However it could also be used as the translation of Serbian word "Србијанци" , especially when distinction is made between the two...
filmmaker, actor and musician, recognized for several internationally acclaimed feature films. He is a two-time winner of the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at Cannes
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
(for When Father Was Away on Business
When Father Was Away on Business
When Father Was Away on Business is a 1985 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. The screenplay was written by the Bosnian dramatist Abdulah Sidran...
and Underground), as well as being a Commander of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
.
Since the mid-2000s, Kusturica's primary residence is Drvengrad
Drvengrad
Drvengrad , also known as Küstendorf and Mećavnik , is a traditional village that the Serbian film director Emir Kusturica built for his film Life Is a Miracle. It is located in the Zlatibor District near the city of Užice, two hundred kilometers southwest of Serbia's capital, Belgrade...
, a village in the Mokra Gora
Mokra Gora
Mokra Gora , meaning the Wet Mountain in English, is a village in Serbia on the northern slopes of mountain Zlatibor. Emphasis on historical reconstruction has made it into a popular tourist center with unique attractions....
region of Serbia. He had portions of the historic village reconstructed for his film Life Is a Miracle
Life Is a Miracle
Life is a Miracle is a Serbian drama film directed by Emir Kusturica in 2004. It was entered into the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
.
Early life and works
Born to Murat Kusturica, a journalist employed at the SarajevoSarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
's Secretariat of Information, and Senka Numankadić, a court secretary, Emir grew up as the only child of a secular Bosnian Muslim family in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, then a constituent republic within Yugoslavia.
Emir was something of a delinquent
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
while growing up in the Sarajevo neighbourhood of Gorica, according to his own account. Through his father's friendship with the well-known director Hajrudin "Šiba" Krvavac, 17-year-old Emir got a small part in Krvavac's 1972 Walter Defends Sarajevo, a partisan film funded by the Yugoslav state.
After graduating from the Film Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague is a university level school of music, dance, drama, film, TV and multi-media studies.- Faculties :*Film and TV School - FAMU*Music Faculty - HAMU*Theatre Faculty - DAMU-Notable alumni:...
(FAMU) in 1978, Kusturica began directing made-for-TV television shorts in then-Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. He made his feature film debut in 1981 with Do You Remember Dolly Bell?
Do You Remember Dolly Bell?
Do You Remember Dolly Bell? , filmed 1981, is the first feature film directed by Emir Kusturica. Showing early signs of the stylistic flair that Kusturica was to effectively deploy in later works, it is a coming of age story.- Plot :...
, which won the prestigious Golden Lion for Best First Work at that year's Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
. From 1981 to 1988, he was a lecturer at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo (Akademija Scenskih Umjetnosti) and art director of Open Stage Obala (Otvorena scena Obala).
His second feature film, When Father Was Away on Business
When Father Was Away on Business
When Father Was Away on Business is a 1985 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. The screenplay was written by the Bosnian dramatist Abdulah Sidran...
(1985), earned a Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at Cannes
1985 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Miloš Forman *Claude Imbert *Edwin Zbonek *Francis Veber *Jorge Amado *Mauro Bolognini *Michel Perez *Mo Rothmann *Néstor Almendros *Sarah Miles...
and five Yugoslavian movie awards, as well as a nomination for an American Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Foreign Film. Kusturica wrote the screenplays for both Do You Remember Dolly Bell? and When Father Was Away on Business in collaboration with Abdulah Sidran
Abdulah Sidran
Abdulah Sidran , often referred to by his nickname Avdo, is a Bosnian writer and poet who is renowned for his screenplays and dramas.-Works:...
. In 1989, Kusturica earned more accolades for Time of the Gypsies
Time of the Gypsies
Time of the Gypsies is a 1988 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. Filmed in Romani and Serbian, Time of the Gypsies tells the story of a young Romani man with magical powers who is tricked into engaging in petty crime...
, a film about Romani culture and the exploitation of their youth.
1990s
Kusturica continued to make highly regarded films into the next decade, including his American debut, the absurdist comedy Arizona DreamArizona Dream
Arizona Dream is a 1993 film directed by Emir Kusturica and starring Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis and Faye Dunaway.-Plot:Axel has a dream about an Eskimo who catches a rare halibut and brings it back to his family in an igloo...
(1993). He won the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
for his black comedy epic, Underground (1995), based upon a scenario of Dušan Kovačević
Dušan Kovacevic
Dušan Kovačević is a Serbian playwright and director best known for his theater plays and movie scripts. He also served as the ambassador of Serbia in Lisbon, Portugal....
, a noted Serbian playwright.
In 1998, he won the Venice Film Festival's Silver Lion for Best Direction for Black Cat, White Cat
Black Cat, White Cat
Black Cat, White Cat is a 1998 Yugoslav romantic comedy film directed by Emir Kusturica. It won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the Venice Film Festival....
, a farcical comedy set in a Gypsy (Romany) settlement on the banks of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
. The music for the film was composed by the Belgrade-based band No Smoking Orchestra.
Recent life and work
In 2001, Kusturica directed Super 8 StoriesSuper 8 Stories
Super 8 Stories is a documentary film about the band No Smoking Orchestra. It is directed by the award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica. The film won the Silver Plate of best documentary at Chicago International Film Festival in 2001.-Cast:* Aleksandar Balaban .... Tuba* Zoran Marjanović...
, a documentary road and concert movie about The No Smoking Orchestra, of which he is a band member. He was appointed President of the Jury of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
.
His film, Maradona
Maradona (film)
Maradona by Kusturica is a documentary on the life of Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, directed by the award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica...
, a documentary on Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
, was released in Italy in May 2007. It premiered in France during the Cannes Film Festival in 2008.
His film Promise Me This
Promise Me This
Promise Me This is a film written and directed by the award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica. The film screened on May 26, 2007 at the 60th annual Cannes Film Festival...
premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
2007 Cannes Film Festival
The 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the sixtieth, ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the festival, and Denys Arcand's The Age of Ignorance closed...
. During 2007, Kusturica prepared a punk opera, Times of the Gypsies. The premiere took place in June 2007, at the Opéra Bastille
Opéra Bastille
L'Opéra Bastille ' is a modern opera house in Paris, France. It is the home base of the Opéra national de Paris and was designed to replace the Palais Garnier, which is nowadays mainly used for ballet performances....
in Paris. The next month, Kusturica directed the music video to Manu Chao
Manu Chao
Manu Chao , is a French singer of Spanish roots . He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages...
's single "Rainin In Paradize
Rainin In Paradize
"Rainin in Paradize" is the first single released from Manu Chao's fourth studio album, La Radiolina. The song was first released on the artist's official website as a free download in June 2007 before it was officially released on July 2 through digital outlets such as iTunes worldwide...
", from the latter's forthcoming album.
On 8 September 2007, Kusturica was appointed a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia, alongside Ana Ivanović
Ana Ivanovic
Ana Ivanović is a former world no. 1 Serbian tennis player. As of November 7, 2011, she is ranked 22th on the WTA rankings. She beat Dinara Safina to win the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open...
, Jelena Janković
Jelena Janković
Jelena Janković is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from Serbia. She reached the final of the 2008 US Open and won the 2007 Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title. Janković is ranked world no...
and Aleksandar Đorđević.
Since January 2008, Kusturica annually organizes a private Küstendorf Film Festival
Küstendorf Film Festival
Küstendorf Film Festival is an annual event held during early January in the town of Drvengrad in the Mokra Gora region of Serbia....
. Its first installment was held at Drvengrad
Drvengrad
Drvengrad , also known as Küstendorf and Mećavnik , is a traditional village that the Serbian film director Emir Kusturica built for his film Life Is a Miracle. It is located in the Zlatibor District near the city of Užice, two hundred kilometers southwest of Serbia's capital, Belgrade...
, a village built for his film Life Is a Miracle
Life Is a Miracle
Life is a Miracle is a Serbian drama film directed by Emir Kusturica in 2004. It was entered into the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
, from 14 to 21 January 2008.
His next film, Cool Water, is a comedy set against the background of a Middle East conflict. Filming started in November 2010 in Germany. It is the first time Emir Kusturica directed a film which he did not write.
At the 64th Cannes Film Festival
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
, held 11–22 May 2011, Kusturica presided over the jury of the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section of the festival's official selection. On 14 May, in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, he was invested with the insignia of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, the highest decoration in France.
Acting
Kusturica first performed in The Widow of St. Pierre (2000), a movie by director Patrice LecontePatrice Leconte
Patrice Leconte is a French film director, actor, comic strip writer, and screenwriter.-Biography:...
. In 2002, Emir Kusturica appeared as an electric guitar player/security specialist in The Good Thief, directed by Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
.
In the French movie L'affaire Farewell
L'affaire Farewell
L'affaire Farewell is a 2009 French film directed by Christian Carion, starring Guillaume Canet and Emir Kusturica. The film is an espionage thriller loosely based on actions of the high-ranking KGB official, Vladimir Vetrov. It was released in the United States in June 2010, under the title...
(2009), he played the role of Russian KGB agent Colonel Sergei Gregoriev, the central focus of a web of intrigue between warring governments and rival spy agencies. He conveyed effortless charisma, authority and humor.
Music
Zabranjeno pušenje
Zabranjeno Pušenje is a Yugoslavian garage rock band from Sarajevo, closely associated with the New primitivism cultural movement and the radio and television satire show Top Lista Nadrealista...
, a rock band from Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
(SR Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Although Kusturica played a minor musical role in the band, he returned to the group following the Black Cat, White Cat
Black Cat, White Cat
Black Cat, White Cat is a 1998 Yugoslav romantic comedy film directed by Emir Kusturica. It won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the Venice Film Festival....
film and the band's name changed to Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra. In 1999, the No Smoking Orchestra recorded a new album, Unza Unza Time, produced by the Universal record company, as well as a music video, directed by Emir Kusturica. The band has been touring internationally since 1999.
The musician and composer Goran Bregović
Goran Bregovic
Goran Bregović is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Balkans. He currently splits his time between Paris and Belgrade, where he settled down during the Yugoslav Wars.Bregović has composed for such varied artists as Iggy Pop and Cesária Évora...
has created music for three of Kusturica's films: Time of the Gypsies
Time of the Gypsies
Time of the Gypsies is a 1988 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. Filmed in Romani and Serbian, Time of the Gypsies tells the story of a young Romani man with magical powers who is tricked into engaging in petty crime...
, Arizona Dream
Arizona Dream
Arizona Dream is a 1993 film directed by Emir Kusturica and starring Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis and Faye Dunaway.-Plot:Axel has a dream about an Eskimo who catches a rare halibut and brings it back to his family in an igloo...
, which featured Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
; and Underground.
Writing
Kusturica's autobiography, Smrt je neprovjerena glasina (Death is an Unverified Rumour), was published in October 2010 in Belgrade by Novosti ADNovosti AD
Novosti AD is a Serbian media company founded in 1953.Among its assets, the company holds high-circulation daily newspapers Večernje novosti and JSL Sport as well as various periodicals...
. The launch took place on 26 October during Belgrade Book Fair and was attended by Nele Karajlić
Nele Karajlic
dr. Nele Karajlić a.k.a. Nele Karajlić, born on December 11, 1962 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, , is a Bosnian Serb rock and roll musician, composer, actor and television director living and working in Belgrade, Republic of Serbia.One of the founders of New Primitivism movement in Sarajevo,...
, Dušan Kovačević
Dušan Kovacevic
Dušan Kovačević is a Serbian playwright and director best known for his theater plays and movie scripts. He also served as the ambassador of Serbia in Lisbon, Portugal....
, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić
Vuk Jeremic
Vuk Jeremić is a Serbian politician and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Serbia. He was sworn in on May 15, 2007 and reelected on July 7, 2008.-Education:Jeremić was born in Belgrade in 1975 to Miško Jeremić and Sena Buljubašić...
, Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica is a Serbian politician, statesman and the president of the Democratic Party of Serbia. He was the last President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, succeeding Slobodan Milošević and serving from 2000 to 2003...
. Released only in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Montenegro, and Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, the book was initially printed in 20,000 copies that were quickly sold. Second printing in 32,000 copies was out in November and it too sold within weeks. On 8 December, the third printing in 40,000 copies was out and promoted a day later at Belgrade's Dom Sindikata. In February 2011, fourth printing with further 10,000 copies was out and soon the sale of 100,000th copy was announced.
Translations were published in Italy on 30 March 2011 under the title Dove sono in questa storia ("Where am I in this Story"), in France on 6 April 2011 as Où suis-je dans cette histoire ?, and in Germany in September 2011 as Der Tod ist ein unbestätigtes Gerücht.
Work
Kusturica and his work have provoked controversy at home and abroad. Underground, scripted by Dušan Kovačević, was partly financed by state-owned Yugoslav television. It recounted the history of Yugoslavia from World War II until the conflict in the 1990s. Some critics claimed Kusturica promoted a pro-Serbian view of the Yugoslav WarsYugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
, including ethnic animosities during WWII. Some Bosnian and French critics claimed the film contained pro-Serb propaganda.
French philosopher and writer Alain Finkielkraut
Alain Finkielkraut
Alain Finkielkraut is a French essayist, and son of a Jewish-Polish manufacturer of fine leather goods who had been deported to Auschwitz and survived. He currently teaches at the École polytechnique as professor of the "history of ideas and modernity" in the department of humanities and social...
, a supporter of the Croatian nationalist leader Franjo Tuđman, denounced the Cannes Film Festival's jury award, saying,
"In recognizing 'Underground', the Cannes jury thought it was honouring a creator with a thriving imagination. In fact, it has honoured a servile and flashy illustrator of criminal clichés. The Cannes jury highly praised a version of the most hackneyed and deceitful Serb propaganda. The devil himself could not have conceived so cruel an outrage against Bosnia, nor such a grotesque epilogue to Western incompetence and frivolity."It was later revealed that Finkielkraut had not seen the film before writing his criticism. French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy
Bernard-Henri Lévy
Bernard-Henri Lévy is a French public intellectual, philosopher and journalist. Often referred to today, in France, simply as BHL, he was one of the leaders of the "Nouveaux Philosophes" movement in 1976.-Early life:...
made a film criticizing Underground.
In a discussion with Bernard-Henri Levy, the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher, critical theorist working in the traditions of Hegelianism, Marxism and Lacanian psychoanalysis. He has made contributions to political theory, film theory, and theoretical psychoanalysis....
said,
"I hope we share another point, which is – to be brutal – hatred of [director] Emir Kusturica. Underground is one of the most horrible films that I've seen. What kind of Yugoslav society do you see in Kusturica's Underground? A society where people fornicate, drink, fight – a kind of eternal orgy."
The Bosnian
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
novelist Aleksandar Hemon
Aleksandar Hemon
Aleksandar Hemon is a Bosnian-American fiction writer. He is the winner of a MacArthur Foundation grant. He has written four acclaimed books: Love and Obstacles: Stories , The Lazarus Project: A Novel , which was a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle...
, who was born in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
and emigrated to the United States before the war, said Underground downplays Serbian atrocities by presenting "the Balkan war as a product of collective, innate, savage madness."
Politics
Kusturica has been criticised for appearing to agree with Slobodan MiloševićSlobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
’s propaganda during the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
. Andrej Nikolaidis
Andrej Nikolaidis
Andrej Nikolaidis is a Montenegrin-Bosnian writer, columnist, and current adviser to Ranko Krivokapić, speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament.-Biography:...
, a Montenegrin writer and columnist, wrote in the weekly Monitor:
"Considering he proclaimed his dead father a Serb, and himself, Emir, an Orthodox Christian, he easily chose his own in the Bosnian War. He recognized them in Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić. He wasn't there to fire cannon barrages, but whenever he could, with his artistic and media get-up he provided them an alibi for every killed Muslim who didn't want to admit that he was originally an 'Orthodox Christian'."
Kusturica sued Nikolaidis and the Monitor newspaper for civil damages at the Supreme Court of Montenegro. The journalist quoted Kusturica's numerous pro-Milošević public statements, and used photos of Kusturica hugging Jovica Stanišić
Jovica Stanišic
Jovica Stanišić is a former head of the State Security Service now BIA within the Serbian Ministry of the Interior. He is facing trial at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for his role in the wars in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
(chief of Serbian State Security Service). Stanišić is being tried for war crimes in the Hague. He also showed Kusturica with Milorad Vučelić (director of Serbian television) and Zoran Lilić
Zoran Lilic
Zoran Lilić is a Serbian. He served as President of the National Assembly of Serbia in 1993 and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1993 to 1997....
(at the time president of Yugoslavia). In the end, Nikolaidis was ordered to pay $6,490 to Kusturica for calling the famed director a "media star of Milosevic's war machinery". The judge ruled that the evidence was not credible enough. In the end Nikolaidis and the paper were fined 12,000 euros for breaking the code of journalism by calling Kusturica "stupid, ugly and corrupt" in the article. The Bosnian Writers Association sponsored a petition calling for the recall of the verdict, because they believed it denied basic human rights (of free speech). The petition was supported and signed by prominent intellectuals and many students from former Yugoslavia and abroad.
2010 Antalya festival
In October 2010 Kusturica withdrew from the jury of Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival47th Antalya "Golden Orange" International Film Festival
The 47th International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival was a film festival held in Antalya, Turkey which ran from October 9 to 14, 2010. Prizes were awarded in four competitions in the course of the festival, at which 191 films were shown at 12 venues across the city with the theme Cinema...
after being publicly criticized and accused by Turkish director Semih Kaplanoğlu
Semih Kaplanoglu
Semih Kaplanoğlu is a Turkish playwright, film director and producer.-Career:He graduated from the Cinema and Television Section of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Dokuz Eylül University in his hometown...
and Turkish minister of culture Ertuğrul Günay
Ertugrul Günay
Ertuğrul Günay is a Turkish politician. He has been the Minister of Culture and Tourism since August 2007.-Biography:...
over his alleged remarks and opinions about the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
.
The criticism of Kusturica was started by an organization called the Turkish-Bosnian Cultural Federation as soon as Kusturica was announced as a jury member. The Turkish media reported that Kusturica repeatedly downplayed the number killed and the rapes of Muslim women. It was not clear when Kusturica was supposed to have made those comments, but the daily Milliyet
Milliyet
Milliyet is a major Turkish daily newspaper founded in 1950.-History:Milliyet came to publishing life at the Nuri Akça press in Babıali, Istanbul as a daily private newspaper on 3 May 1950...
said Kusturica denied the allegations.
Public sentiment in Turkey was whipped up against Kusturica to the point that a couple of days after Kusturica left Turkey, there were news reports about a mob of Turkish youths in Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
physically assaulting Swiss actor Michael Neuenschwander (in town to promote his movie 180° – Wenn deine Welt plötzlich Kopf steht) because they mistook him for Kusturica due to apparent physical resemblance between the two. Later, Neuenschwander's press agent said there was no physical assault and that Neuenschwander was verbally abused by a small group.
Kusturica later commented on the incident:
Personal
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
into the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
as Nemanja Kusturica (Немања Кустурица) in Savina monastery near Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 inhabitants...
, Montenegro. To his critics who considered this the final betrayal of his Bosnian Muslim
Muslims by nationality
Muslims by nationality was a term used in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as an official designation of nationality of Slavic Muslims. They were one of the constitutive groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
roots, he replied that:
Kusturica traces his family origin before the conversion to Islam, to the Babić family, precisely to a Kusturica that helped build the Arslanagić bridge in the 18th century, that hailed from Bileća
Bileca
Bileća is a town and municipality in the southeast of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the entity of Republika Srpska. It is in eastern Herzegovina near the border with Montenegro, north of Trebinje and south of Gacko...
(He took the surname Kusturica when Islamized).
At the 2007 parliamentary elections
Serbian parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections took place in Serbia on 21 January 2007. The first session of the new National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia was held on 14 February 2007....
, he gave indirect support to Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica is a Serbian politician, statesman and the president of the Democratic Party of Serbia. He was the last President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, succeeding Slobodan Milošević and serving from 2000 to 2003...
and his right wing Democratic Party of Serbia
Democratic Party of Serbia
The Democratic Party of Serbia is a political party in Serbia.-Foundation:The Democratic Party of Serbia was founded when a faction of the Democratic Party that supported its involvement in the Democratic Movement of Serbia split from the party and formed their own in 1992.Soon after the March...
. In 2007, he also supported the Serbian campaign Solidarity - Kosovo is Serbia, a campaign against the unilateral separation of the Serbian province of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
.
He is currently living in Drvengrad
Drvengrad
Drvengrad , also known as Küstendorf and Mećavnik , is a traditional village that the Serbian film director Emir Kusturica built for his film Life Is a Miracle. It is located in the Zlatibor District near the city of Užice, two hundred kilometers southwest of Serbia's capital, Belgrade...
, Serbia, the village which he had built for his film Life Is a Miracle
Life Is a Miracle
Life is a Miracle is a Serbian drama film directed by Emir Kusturica in 2004. It was entered into the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
. Kusturica holds Serbian and French citizenships.
Marriage and family
Emir Kusturica is married to Maja Mandić, daughter of a "Bosnian Serb (Miloš Mandić) and a Slovene-Croat (Ljerka Kušec). His children are Stribor, 30, and Dunja, 24."Filmography
As director- Guernica, 1978, short
- The Brides Are Coming (Nevjeste dolaze), 1978, TV film
- Buffet Titanic (Bife Titanik), 1979, TV film
- Do You Remember Dolly Bell?Do You Remember Dolly Bell?Do You Remember Dolly Bell? , filmed 1981, is the first feature film directed by Emir Kusturica. Showing early signs of the stylistic flair that Kusturica was to effectively deploy in later works, it is a coming of age story.- Plot :...
(Sjećaš li se Dolly Bell), 1981 - Nije čovjek ko ne umre, 1984, TV film
- When Father Was Away on BusinessWhen Father Was Away on BusinessWhen Father Was Away on Business is a 1985 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. The screenplay was written by the Bosnian dramatist Abdulah Sidran...
(Otac na službenom putu), 1985 - Time of the GypsiesTime of the GypsiesTime of the Gypsies is a 1988 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. Filmed in Romani and Serbian, Time of the Gypsies tells the story of a young Romani man with magical powers who is tricked into engaging in petty crime...
(Dom za vešanje), 1988 - Arizona DreamArizona DreamArizona Dream is a 1993 film directed by Emir Kusturica and starring Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis and Faye Dunaway.-Plot:Axel has a dream about an Eskimo who catches a rare halibut and brings it back to his family in an igloo...
, 1993 - Underground (Podzemlje), 1995
- Black Cat, White CatBlack Cat, White CatBlack Cat, White Cat is a 1998 Yugoslav romantic comedy film directed by Emir Kusturica. It won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the Venice Film Festival....
(Crna mačka, beli mačor), 1998 - Super 8 StoriesSuper 8 StoriesSuper 8 Stories is a documentary film about the band No Smoking Orchestra. It is directed by the award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica. The film won the Silver Plate of best documentary at Chicago International Film Festival in 2001.-Cast:* Aleksandar Balaban .... Tuba* Zoran Marjanović...
, 2001, documentary - Life Is a MiracleLife Is a MiracleLife is a Miracle is a Serbian drama film directed by Emir Kusturica in 2004. It was entered into the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
(Život je čudo), 2004 - Promise Me ThisPromise Me ThisPromise Me This is a film written and directed by the award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica. The film screened on May 26, 2007 at the 60th annual Cannes Film Festival...
(Zavet), 2007 - MaradonaMaradona (film)Maradona by Kusturica is a documentary on the life of Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, directed by the award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica...
, 2008, documentary - Tweaker's Delight, 2011 (pre-production)
- Cool Water, 2012 (pre-production)
- Wild Roses, Tender Roses, 2012 (pre-production)
As actor
- The Widow of Saint-Pierre, 2000
- The Good Thief, 2002
- L'affaire FarewellL'affaire FarewellL'affaire Farewell is a 2009 French film directed by Christian Carion, starring Guillaume Canet and Emir Kusturica. The film is an espionage thriller loosely based on actions of the high-ranking KGB official, Vladimir Vetrov. It was released in the United States in June 2010, under the title...
(Farewell), 2010
Awards
- 1st prize on Student's Film Festival in Karlovy VaryKarlovy VaryKarlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
, (1978) for Guernica - Golden Lion for "Best First Work" in Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
, (1981) for Do You Remember Dolly Bell? - Golden palm Cannes Film Festival1985 Cannes Film Festival-Jury:*Miloš Forman *Claude Imbert *Edwin Zbonek *Francis Veber *Jorge Amado *Mauro Bolognini *Michel Perez *Mo Rothmann *Néstor Almendros *Sarah Miles...
, (1985) for When Father Was Away on Business - FIPRESCIFIPRESCIThe International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
prize Cannes Film Festival1985 Cannes Film Festival-Jury:*Miloš Forman *Claude Imbert *Edwin Zbonek *Francis Veber *Jorge Amado *Mauro Bolognini *Michel Perez *Mo Rothmann *Néstor Almendros *Sarah Miles...
, (1985) for When Father Was Away on Business - Best Foreign Language Academy AwardAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
Nomination, (1985) for When Father Was Away on Business - Best Director award at Cannes Film Festival1989 Cannes Film Festival- Jury :*Wim Wenders *Christine Gouze-Renal*Claude Beylie*Georges Delerue*Hector Babenco*Krzysztof Kieślowski*Peter Handke*Renée Blanchar*Sally Field*Silvio Clementelli-Feature film competition:* Chimère by Claire Devers...
, (1989) for Time of Gypsies - Silver Bear – Special Jury PrizeJury Grand PrixThe Jury Grand Prix is a Silver Bear award given by the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival to one of the feature films in competition...
at the Berlin Film Festival43rd Berlin International Film FestivalThe 43rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 11 to 22, 1993.-Jury:* Frank Beyer * Juan Antonio Bardem* Michel Boujut* François Duplat* Katinka Faragó* Krystyna Janda* Naum Kleiman* Brock Peters...
, (1993) for Arizona Dream - Golden Palm at Cannes Film Festival1995 Cannes Film Festival-Jury:*Jeanne Moreau *Gianni Amelio *Jean-Claude Brialy *Nadine Gordimer *Gaston Kabore *Michele-Ray Gavras *Emilio Garcia Riera *Philippe Rousselot *John Waters...
, (1995) for Underground - Silver Plate of best documentary at Chicago International Film FestivalChicago International Film FestivalThe Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
, (2001) for Super 8 Stories - Cinema Prize of the French Education System at Cannes Festival2004 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
(2004) for Life is a Miracle - Best European Union Film at César AwardCésar AwardThe César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
s, (2005) for Life is a Miracle - Philippe Rotthier European Architecture Award, (2005) for Küstendorf village in Serbia
- On 10 February 2007, Kusturica received Ordre des Arts et des LettresOrdre des Arts et des LettresThe Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
, France's highest order in recognition of significant contribution to the arts. - Emir Kusturica is the winner of the Philippe Rotthier European Architecture Award for his Küstendorf ethnic village project (also called Drvengrad – a “wooden town”) on Mt. ZlatiborZlatiborZlatibor is a mountain region situated in the western part of Serbia, a part of the Dinaric Alps.The mountain range spreads over an area of 300 km², 27 miles in length, southeast to northwest, and up to 23 miles in width. The highest peak is Tornik at 1496 m...
, Serbia, in 2005. The prize is awarded every three years by the BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
Foundation for Architecture. - In 2004, The Prix de l'Education nationale (National Education Prize) honored Emir Kusturica and his film Život je čudo (Life is a Miracle).
- On 8 april 2011, Kusturica was the first person ever to receive "Momo Kapor award", for his book Death is an Unverified Rumour
- In 2011, Kusturica won "Tipar award" for satire, awarded in the city of PljevljaPljevljaPljevlja is a town and municipality located in the northern part of Montenegro. The city lies at an altitude of...