Želimir Žilnik: Early Works (1969)
Film Screening and Discussion
In an allegoric manner “Early Works” recounts a story of young people who took part in the student demonstrations in June 1968 in Belgrade. Three young men and a girl, Yugoslava, defy the petit-bourgeois routine of everyday life. Wishing to “change the world”, and inspired by the writings of young Karl Marx, they go to the country and to factories to “wake up people’s consciousness”, to encourage them in their fight for emancipation and life worth living. Being in field, they face primitivism and squalor, but they show their own limits, weaknesses, incapacity and jealousy. They get arrested. Frustrated because the planned revolution has not been realised, the three young men decide to eliminate Yugoslava, who is the witness of their impotence. They shoot her, cover her with the party flag, burn her body and a dark pillar of smoke going up into the sky is the only thing that remains of the intended revolution.
Directed by: Želimir Žilnik
Cast: Milja Vujanović, Bogdan Tirnanić, Čedomir Radović, Marko Nikolić, Slobodan AligrudićWritten by: Želimir Žilnik, Branko Vučićević
Additional dialogs: Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
Camera and editing by: Karpo Aćimović Godina
Production: Avala Film, Beograd, Neoplanta film, Novi Sad
The film screening will be followed by a discussion with the director, moderated by Oksana Sarkisova.
The film is screened with English subtitles, the discussion will be in English.