THE PRAGUE SCHOOL DOCUMENTS | Martovski festival

Aleksandar Saša Petrović was the first post-WW2 student of the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) from the former Yugoslavia, but he dropped out in 1948, after the Tito-Stalin split. The next were Srđan Karanović and Goran Marković, who enrolled in this prestigious film school in 1965. It’s 55 years since the moment when Goran’s father Rade brought the two of them to Prague, got in his car, and went back home. This was the beginning of the Prague school, although their representatives disagree with this term, while Goran Marković bluntly stated in the title of his book that the Czech School – doesn’t exist!

Soon the others followed – Lordan Zafranović, Rajko Grlić, Goran Paskaljević, Živko Zalar, Predrag Pega Popović, Viko Filač, Emir Kusturica. To name but a few most famous.

Upon their return to the country of self-management Socialism, before they managed to make their feature films, all of them had under their belt a noteworthy number of short films, mainly produced by local TV networks and state-owned production companies.

This, slightly forgotten segment of their work as well as the anniversary of their first encounter with Prague, justify the retrospective at the 67th edition of the Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival. While these filmmakers are known mainly by their feature films, their works that have been set aside will now be shown for the older people to see them again and the younger ones to see them for the first time.

Milan Nikodijević

Director, screenwriter, Academy of Arts Novi Sad professor

One Photo Tells a Story

/ 8’ 22’’

By: Milan Nikodijević

Prodction: ŠTAP & KANAP PRODUCTION i ARBOS

A short recording about the famous photo of dead Jan Palach shot by Predrag Pega Popović in 1969. Part of the research for the feature-length documentary Winter of a Spring, currently in production.

We From Prague // 1967. / 29’

Directed by: Rajko Grlić

To Whom God Created a Beard // 1972. / 30’

Directed by: Goran Marković

Little Neda // 1969. / 30’

Directed by: Srđan Karanović

Day and Night – Square // 1966. / 15’

Directed by: Lordan Zafranović

Mister Hrstka // 1969. / 10’

Directed by: Goran Paskaljević

Legend of Lapot // 1972. / 27’

Directed by: Goran Paskaljević