Cinema Komunisto Page #3

This is Belgrade

the capital of Yugoslavia.

Two big rivers, nine hills,

one million inhabitants.

In the last 2000 years

it was destroyed 54 times.

Today is Friday, 29 April

119 day of the year.

The Sun rises at 4.40.

Film town in Belgrade,

revived this year as never was before.

Avala film, this year made several movies

for our and foreign companies.

Here are a few scenes

from the film "Roman Virgins".

1962 was a turning point

in the activities of the film town.

At the head of the company came

Mr. Ratko Drazevic.

He was a completely different

personality than of his predecessors.

What is it? Do you like me?

It occurred to me that I know you.

Many people know me brother.

Do you want something to drink?

In Avala film,

in the era of these co-productions

came one true european mag,

producer in the american sense.

That's how they called him,

Hollywood mag from the Balkans.

Well-known Ratko Drazovic.

A dangerous partisan, member of the group

that caught Draza Mihajlovic.

He had that experience,

he spoke foreign languages and so on.

I think, there was a role played by

his former company Udba.

He have killed and

everything.

There was some kind of foreign aid from US

that was intended for our country.

He resold it to South America.

Money was probably used for

goverment suspicious jobs.

That man labeled our cinematography

and its beginnings.

When he came he was

seen as fear and suspense.

He made order

in Avala film.

In year or two he made

many foreign partnerships.

He brought Americans.

His job was

to start with big co-productions,

and to bring the money.

Of course, that money

was going to the state.

"Long ships"

The world came to Avala-film,

through Ratko Drazovic.

And Avala film went to the World.

"Long ships" was

a beggining of our entrance

in the world cinematography.

Producing of films

that will be shown to

the whole world.

Why did you decide to shoot a movie

in Yugoslavia?

Not one studio in Europe

and America is big enough.

It was necessary to

build facilities

in which we have shown

our abilities.

We shown that we are equally good as

Americans. That they are not better than us.

We attracted them with the perfect

facilities and with trained crew.

Although we learnt from them,

we did not show that.

That's the movie business.

Film is finnaly - a lie.

We are just trying

to be as realistic as possible.

Ratko Drazovic requested to strictly

follow the instructions:

Americans should not feel that

they are not in Hollywood.

Everyone here keeps

repeating two words:

"Nema problema"

That means:
No problem.

Obviously, we do not have anything

except problems.

If the house got demolished,

"Nema problema".

We started filming

summer scenes.

The sky was beautifully blue.

Suddenly, it started to snow.

If a team does not appear or it is

not ready - "Nema problema".

We changed the plan and

started shooting winter scenes.

But the snow melted,

the spring came.

"Nema problema, it will snow again"

Last week in Belgrade,

we had a chance to meet

some well-known film workers.

Among others - Dawn Adams,

the partner of Charlie Chaplin.

Neo-realist director

Giuseppe De Santis

began preparations

for filming.

With his assistent Veliko Bulajic,

the casting director.

English film crew with Anthony

Hopkins and David Swift,

record their version of "War and Peace"

in Deliblatska Pescara.

In Belgrade Fair Hall 1, started shooting

of "Marco Polo".

Marco Polo is played by the young

French actor Alain Delon.

Hotel Metropol became a place

of residence for film-stars.

On its terrace we met

protagonists of the film 'Nevihta'.

Roy Thinnes.

Anthony Quinn recorded a film here.

Metropol was the best hotel.

Deluxe.

The best hotel in Belgrade.

All the most important

film-stars have stayed here.

The sudden arrival of Mr. Hitchcock

upseted everyone except him.

Sofia Loren and Carlo Ponti,

were visiting President Tito

and his wife Jovanka Broz.

That is Sofia.

You took her to Brioni? -Yes.

Once me, the other time Veljko Bulajic.

But I did not bother her,

he did.

Was she beautifull?

- Who? Sofia Loren.

Was she pretty? -Great.

- A little big, but.

They knew that Yugoslavia is

a country that has everything:

An army, 50-100 tanks, cannons,

air-planes. Everything.

I didn't need to take the director

to the spot. He trusted me.

I've showed him the places

where I was filming.

I love these long photos,

in which the whole landscape can be seen.

I know every stream,

river, lake, hill and forest.

Here you have this,

but there is a better forest in Macedonia.

For "Marco Polo"

we built the Beijing from the 13th century.

Then we built a palace

for Kublai Kahn.

It turned out that the money was

main political motive for the job.

The country

needed foreign money then.

Co-productions was great help

for our country.

Everything was done perfectly.

We were aware,

that we need the foreigners. Because

of dollars that they've brought here.

For every shooting day we needed

at least one hundred statists.

Let us in.

- I can't.

Yesterday you said that statists

come today.

Today I say to you nicely

to come tomorrow.

It often happened that on recording and

in the film crew,

came people from state security

to check what is going on.

Is that you? -Yes.

Steva Petrovic, who was

the main representative of Avala film.

Was in all co-productions,

as an assistant director and director.

He liked to appear in the shortest scenes

in these films.

They've shortened the sentence!

First, it was:

We recorded so much films

and earned a lot of money.

It is a true shame that we

don't do it anymore.

And that Avala film collapsed.

You can't even find it in

a phonebook anymore.

As an example of the quality of products

that were made in Film town.

I'll show you the costume of

one of the main Viking's,

that was made specially

for the film "Long ships".

It was made in 1962,

today is the year 2006,

means that it is retained

for almost 50 years.

and it is still used for recording

TV-commercials.

From the rich collection of costumes

of Avala film

we present you the suit of

King Milan Obrenovic.

It was used

at least in 20 movies.

When Anthony Hopkins

came to Belgrade.

To record

"War and Peace. "

We spoke to our trusted

co-worker.

The film was filmed successfully,

an the film "War and Peace"

seized the world.

Was it like that? -Yes, it was.

The laboratory of Avala film.

Currently without electricity.

Dan Tana.

producer

I am shocked to see this place.

Once beautifull - now ugly.

Neglected and uninsured.

A lot of money and effort was used

to build it.

It is a tragedy that it collapsed

and that it will dissapear.

Until recently we have

fought to preserve it.

It was going

to a disaster.

However, it went to a disaster.

List of films shown to Tito,

1949-1980.

Since 1949, I have kept a

record of movies for every day.

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