Cinema of Croatia
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The cinema of Croatia does not have as long tradition as in some other Central European countries: serious beginning of Croatian cinema starts with rise of communist film industry in 1940-s. Although not internationally recognized as neighboring Serbian and Bosnian cinema, Croatian cinema had its memorable peaks, its classics and evergreens. Three Croatian feature films were nominated for Foreign language film Academy Award, several of them were awarded on biggest festival, and Croatian contribution on the field of animation film is particularly important.
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[edit] Early History
Although motion pictures appeared in Croatia relatively early, for most of the 20th Century the film was almost exclusively in the domain of few dedicated and amateurish enthusiasts, most notably Josip Karaman in Split and, later, Oktavijan Miletić in Zagreb. Croatia lacked the political, economic and cultural infrastructure able to support its own cinema industry. The most serious effort in that direction before World War II was the series of educational films produced by Škola narodnog zdravlja.
[edit] War Period
The cinema of Croatia became institution after the establishment of Independent State of Croatia in 1941. The new Ustasha regime quickly realised the need for modern propaganda tools modeled after Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. After serious lobbying among those two governments for technical advice and resources, the first propaganda films were made in late 1941. Croatian filmmakers like Branko Marjanović learned very quickly and the 1943 documentary Straža na Drini later won the prestigious Golden Lion award at Venice Film Festival, attended by Axis Powers countries. After the collapse of NDH in 1945, victorious Tito's Communists also recognised the importance of the film industry and decided to build their own film industry. Many technicians and co-workers of Ustasha propaganda cinema industry were during the war in fact double agents working for partisan side, with one main task: to keep technical facilities untouched upon collapse of NDH. Therefore, new regime inherited technical equipment, and more importantly trained personnel, including directors and top officials. The result of such policy was the rapid development of the Croatian film industry, although initially under jurisdiction of the federal government in Belgrade.
[edit] Early Communist Period
In 1947 Jadran Film studios were founded in Zagreb. A year later, Tito's Yugoslavia broke up with other Eastern Bloc countries and gradually opened economic and other links to the West. That included the film industry, with Jadran Film infrastructure being used by Italian, West German and American filmmakers to produce historical epics and later spaghetti westerns. A whole new generation of filmmakers was thus formed, and many important experiences were learned in this way.
[edit] Zagreb Animation School
Zagreb also excelled in its own animation film school, Zagrebačka škola crtanog filma (Zagreb Cartoon School). It gained that name on the Cannes film festival 1959, when eight Zagreb cartoons were screened, and French film historian Georges Sadoul for the first time baptised "l'ecole de Zagreb" (Zagreb School). School was based on the production company Zagreb film, famous for it's symbol - little horse. Most notable member of school (which was never school in a proper, educational sense) was Montenegro-born author Dušan Vukotić, winner of 1963 Oscar for his animated short Surogat. He was first non-American who won Oscar for animated film. Other important members were Vatroslav Mimica (later relevant feature filmmaker), and Vlado Kristl, who left Croatia in early 60s after banning of his avanguard, experimental cartoon "Don Quijote". Zagreb school was revolutionary for the animations of the 50s, because it abandoned Disney-like cartoon style, and introduced visual elements of avanguard abstract painting, constructivism and cubism. Failure of the school was that it never experimented with other animation techniques beside cartoon. Also, it never reached level of proper industry, remaining more like an artistic workshop. Zagreb school was vivid and successful during 60s and early 70s, but after that Croatian animation faded and today it does not have a global role as it use to have.
[edit] First Golden Era: Late 50s
Croatian feature films at that time were not easily indistinguishable from the rest of the films made in former Yugoslavia, mostly due to free flow of resources and talents. It has its first serious peak Croatian feature cinema reaches in late 50s, when Croatian films are probably most mature in then young Yugoslav production. Most important author of that era is Branko Bauer, Dubrovnik-born director whose most famous film is urban war thriller Don't Turn Around Son (Ne okreći se, sine, 1956). Loosely based on Carol Reed's film Odd Man Out, film describes a destiny of the fugitive from Ustasha Nazi camp who comes to Zagreb to find his son, realising that kid is at the Ustasha boarding school, and completely brainwashed. Hero struggles to leave Zagreb with his son, while deluding him all the way about the goal of their trip. Among other important Bauer's film important is Tri Ane (Three Annas, 1959), produced in Macedonia, about the father who finds out that his daughter, presumably killed in war, could be alive and adult person. Bauer's film Licem u lice (Face To Face, 1962) tells the story about corrupted director of the construction company who confronts the rebel worker during the communist party cell meeting. It is considered as first overtly political film in Yugoslavia. Other memorable 50s classic is Nikola Tanhofer, former cinematographer and specialist for action genres. His most famous film is H8 (1958), reconstruction of the real traffic accident when several passengers of the intercity bus between Zagreb and Belgrade were killed, and driver of the car who caused the accident escaped. Following in parallel three vehicles and dozen of picturesque destiny, H8 offers a mosaical picture of late 50s society, and it's dramaturgy resembles on a - then nonexistent - disaster movies genre. In that period, two Croatian films were Academy Award nominees for foreign language film. Both of them were directed by guests from abroad: Italian Giuseppe De Santis (Cesta duga godina dana - A Road One Year Long, 1958), and Slovenian France Štiglic (Deveti krug - Ninth Circle, 1960).
[edit] Modernism
In the 60s, Croatian cinema is affected by changes of style and embraces modernism. First established modernist film was Prometej s otoka Viševice (Promaetheus from Island Viševica, 1965) by former cartoonist Vatroslav Mimica. While using technique of the stream-of consciousness novel, Mimica tells a story about partisan veteran and communist executive who travels to a native island and faces ghosts of the post war past. Among other famous modernist classics, most significant is Rondo (1965) by Zvonimir Berković, and Breza (Birch, 1967) by Ante Babaja. Most popular author of that era was Krešo Golik, with his comedies. Most popular of his film is Tko pjeva zlo ne misli (Who Sings Doesn't Mean Wrong, 1970), romantic comedy set in the 30s Zagreb. Croatia also participated in pan-Yugoslav "black wave", although best authors and films of the black wave were Serbian. Most famous black wave classic from Croatia is Lisice (Cuffs, 1969, by Krsto Papić), film which is politically relevant because it is a first cultural product which dealt with hushed secret of Yugoslav communism: repression against communists who stood by Stalin in famous breakup between Tito and Stalin in 1948. In the early 1970s, following Yugoslav constitutional changes, Croatia gained more autonomy in shaping its cultural affairs. This, ironically, didn't improved the Croatian film industry. Following the collapse of the Croatian Spring, Croatian Communist authorities in 1970s pushed for tighter control over films. As a result, the general quality of Croatian films declined.
[edit] Prague School and Genre Cinema
Fresh air in Yugoslav cinema came in late 70s and early 80s with so-called Prague School, group of authors educated at the famous Prague Academy FAMU. Amongst five directors usually presumed as Prague School, two came from Croatia: Lordan Zafranović, and Rajko Grlić. Grlić's most famous film is You Only Love Once (Samo jednom se ljubi, 1981), political melodrama which discusses the moral decay of the early communist establishment in late 40s. Film was in Cannes competitions. Lordan Zafranović's most famous films were Okupacija u 26 slika (Occupation in 26 Pictures) and Pad Italije (Fall of Italy), both of them war films in coastal Dalmatian setting, and both screened in Cannes festival.
Interesting phenomenon of the 80s Croatian cinema is so-called "neo-genre" production, works of directors who used Western commercial genres as horror, thriller, or detective movie and implemented it in late-communist society. Most famous author of that trend is Zoran Tadić, with it's metaphysical, black-and-white thriller Ritam zločina (Rhythm of the Crime, 1981), and horror Treći kljuć (Third Key, 1983), which discusses the problem of corruption through kafkaesque metaphor.
[edit] 90s: period of crisis
When Croatia became independent in the 90s, Croatian film suffers a difficult crisis. Due to wars, the market for Croatian films shrank, most of the theatres disappeared for good and none of Croatian films could expect to be financially viable without even greater support from the state. In the period of rule of Franjo Tuđman, government avoided direct censorship, but demanded more nationalist content, making it less accessible not only to audiences in other countries, but also in Croatia itself.
[edit] Croatian Film Today: Third Golden Era
After political changes in 2000., Croatian cinema for the first time in history could work in a politically completely free environment. As a result, at the beginning of this decade Croatian cinema flourishes again, and many critics write about "third golden era" (after late 50s and late 60s). Most popular authors of contemporary Croatian cinema is Vinko Brešan whose comedies Kako je počeo rat na mom otoku (How the war on my island started, 1997), and Maršal (Marshal Tito's Spirit, 1999) mix grotesque humor and political provocation. Brešan's war drama Svjedoci (Witnesses, based on a novel by Jurica Pavičić) was first feature film in former Yugoslavia which discussed the war crimes committed by "our guys", not the enemy. Film was screened in competition of Berlinale in 2003. Film by Arsen A. Ostojić Ta divna splitska noć (That Wonderful Night in Split, 2004) was elected as one of five nominees for European Discovery EFA award. Tu (Here, 2003) by Zrinko Ogresta was awarded in Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Among other distinguished contemporary directors, internationally most recognised is Ognjen Sviličić, with two films premiered in Berlinale: Oprosti za kung Fu (Sorry for Kung fu, 2004) and Armin (2006). Both of them won several international prices.
Croatian cinema regularly produces between 6 and 9 features per year. Ministry of culture also cofinance approximately 60 minutes of animation per year, plus documentaries and experimental films which have bigger cultural prestige in Croatia then in other ex- Yugoslav countries. National attendance is averagely 2,7 million tickets on 4.5 million population.
[edit] Croatian in World Cinema
Many Croatians participated in world cinema. Italian divas Alida Valli and Sylvia Koscina were born on today's Croatian territory (Pula, and Split). Famous actor Rade Šerbedžija (Sherbedgia) was born in Croatia. Main actor of E.R. serial, Goran Višnjić, is Croatian, famous Hollywood producer Branko Lustig and American TV actress Mira Furlan too. Two famous Hollywood actors have Croatian origin - John Malkovich and Australia-born Eric Bana.
[edit] See also
hr:Kinematografija Hrvata
