[ Präsentation - Presentation ]

In the course of the Sarajevo Film Festival, which is presently taking place, Wallflower Press will present the launch of the book The Cinema of the Balkans, edited by Dina Iordanova with a preface by Dušan Makavejev, on 25th of August.
The Cinema of the Balkans contains 24 essays, each on an individual, select film from the Balkan region (former Yugoslavia – Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia; Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Albania). The collection highlights some of the most important films that represent the rich and diverse culture of the Balkans and reveals the stylistic and thematic affinities that characterize the cinemas of a region that is often perceived as a disconnected cultural space. Some of the selected films include: Stella (Greece, 1955), The Four Seasons of the Law (Greece, 1999), Goat’s Horn (Bulgaria, 1972), When I am Dead and Pale (Yugoslavia/Serbia, 1969), The Red Horse (Yugoslavia/Macedonia, 1984), Stone Wedding (Romania, 1971), Walter Defends Sarajevo (Yugoslavia/Bosnia, 1972).

Dina Iordanova is Chair of Film Studies at the University of St. Andrews and has published widely on Eastern European, Balkan and Russian cinema, including Cinema of Flames: Balkan Film, Culture and the Media (2001), Emir Kusturica (2002) and The Cinema of the Other Europe (Wallflower Press, 2003).


The evening will include an informal discussion around issues of contemporary Balkan cinema, featuring the following speakers:

Stefan Kitanov, director of the Sofia International Film Festival
Mihai Chirilov, director of the Transilvania International Film Festival
Haris Pašović, writer, director and producer of A propos de Sarajevo (2004)
Ademir Kenović, producer of Kod amidže Idriza (2004) and Karaula (2006)

From 18.00, Friday 25. August 2006 at Buybook, Café Karabit, Zelenih beretki 8, National Art Gallery, Sarajevo - according to our editor Peter Plener, this place is supposed to be the best international bookstore of the region.


Below you´ll find the contents of the book:

Notes on Contributors vii
Acknowledgements xi
Notes on Structure and Language xii
preface Dušan Makavejev xiv
introduction Dina Iordanova 1
01 stella Dan Georgakas 13
02 kradetsat na praskovi / the peach thief Alexander Grozev 23
03 padurea spînzurat¸ilor / forest of the hanged Marian Tutui 33
04 tri / three Vlastimir Sudar 43
05 kad budem mrtav i beo / when i am dead and pale Pavle Levi 53
06 rani radovi / early works Marina Grznic 65
07 mihai viteazul / michael the brave Anne Jäckel 75
08 ti ekanes ston polemo, thanassi? / what did you do in the war, thanassis? Stratos Constantinidis 87
09 evdokia John Papargyris 97
10 valter brani sarajevo / walter defends sarajevo Rada ?ešić 107
11 koziyat rog / goat’s horn Alexander Grozev 117
12 nunta de piatraš / stone wedding Lilla Töke 127
13 lachenite obuvki na neznayniya voin / the patent leather shoes of the unknown soldier Alexander Grozev 137
14 splav meduze / the raft of meduza Svetlana Slapšak 149
15 petrijin venac / petrija’s wreath Nevena Daković 161
16 proba de microfon / microphone test Adina Bradeanu 171
17 pad italije / the fall of italy Margit Rohringer 183
18 mera spored mera / measure for measure Alexander Grozev 195
19 crveniot konj / the red horse Dina Iordanova 207
20 petrina chronia / stone years Dan Georgakas 217
21 lepota poroka / the beauty of sin Nikola Mijović 227
22 kthimi i ushtrisë së vdekur / return of the dead army Dina Iordanova 237
23 i earini synaxis ton agrofylakon / the four seasons of the law Vassiliki Tsitsopoulou 247
24 tirana year zero Andrew James Horton 257
Filmography 266
Bibliography 274
Index 286