The movie "Day 14." Zdravko Velimirović was shown last night as part of the film program of the Bar Chronicle. The last film evening at this festival was dedicated to the Montenegrin Cinematheque, and the audience could enjoy the restored version of this production.
The film was produced by Lovćen Film in 1960, and a year later it was shown at the Cannes Festival. This is Velimirović's debut feature film. The Montenegrin Cinematheque restored this film together with the Yugoslav Cinematheque, so it was recently shown again in Cannes as part of the Cannes Classic program.
"I had the opportunity to watch the restored version of the film, and it is an extremely intriguing work that really deserves new readings. This film is a classic and has the ability to transcend the context in which it was created, which means that it is still fresh, regardless of the interpretive vision in which it was created. It is a film that can give us new insights into the functioning of Yugoslav cinematography. What makes a classic movie 'Day 14.' is the modernism of it.
"Usually, modernism in literature in Yugoslavian film is mostly associated with the so-called 'black wave', which then offered new themes and focused on social groups that were not represented in the cinematography of that era," said moderator Aleksandar Bečanović and added that In his film, Velimirović "very precisely and intriguingly thematized urbanity at the level of iconography and the protagonist".
"At that time, Yugoslav cinematography presented the view that Yugoslavia was a country of workers and peasants, and 'Dan 14.' which offers a completely different kind of characters. All of them are extremely urban, preoccupied with problems that are not so much related to the economic situation, which is what the black wave preferred. The very way of interpreting reality is more stylized and subtle, and this ties it in a stronger way to important tendencies in the European film of that era," emphasizes Bečanović.
Zdravko's son, director Mladen Velimirović, also spoke about this achievement.
"A beautiful and ennobling theme. The first mildly critical film of that time. It does not belong to the black wave, fashion was an introduction to that black wave. It was made in such a way that the aesthetics of the film is not diminished even a little because it is a critical film", believes Velimirović, who emphasizes that it is most beautiful when it is created out of love and when films are made with pure enthusiasm.
He recalled that his father specialized in films in 1957 in Paris.
"There is also a French style in this film, and this is his first feature film. Before that, he made several documentaries. Not even three years passed after his specialization, and he made his first feature film, "Day 14", and managed to young, found in the official competition of the Cannes Festival, which is a great recognition", he said and added that this year's re-screening of the aforementioned film in Cannes elevated Montenegrin cinematography and presented it in a fine style.
"I hope that there will be newer films from Montenegro that will be included in the Cannes Festival", he emphasized and added that there is interest in showing this work at other festivals in the world.
Nemanja Bečanović explained that the film was digitally restored and proposed for Cannes Klasik on the initiative of the director of the Montenegrin Cinematheque, Andro Martinović.
"The jury from that part of the festival recognized 'Dan 14.' as an important film that should have a new life again at the Cannes Festival", he pointed out and explained how the process of restoring the original negatives that were kept by the Yugoslav Cinematheque took place.
"The film was in good condition. By the way, films that were shot on acetate from that era, from the 50s to the 90s, are in a state of decay. So all the films shot in that period will eventually disappear. We can only slow down their deterioration through the conservation process. Film has its own life and will experience its own death at one point, unfortunately, its death. What can save that film is that it is seriously digitized at one point and thus transferred to a new format." , said Becanović.
The photo exhibition "Bar. People" will be opened as part of the bARS program on the promenade of King Nikola from 20.30:21.30 p.m. Tonight, as part of the theater program, the choreo-drama "U amanet" will be performed on the Stage in Stari Bar from XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. and tickets can be purchased for five euros.
Bonus video:
