An Analysis of the Balkan War

All will remember David Letterman's clever introduction of Milce as an author from Macedonia, "which is also known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". The Greeks threatened to boycott the Oscar ceremony unless the clumsy full name (FYRM) was not used. Even though political reasons helped nominate "Before the Rain", in order to focus attention on the Balkan tragedy, these were the same reasons it didn't get an Oscar, which went to the Russian entry. Milce is the first director born in the former Yugoslavia whose film has been nominated for an Oscar and whose film has been distributed normally in the USA (before the nomination). And he is certainly not the first artist to have had such ambitions.

Two years ago Emir Kusturica made "Arizona Dream" with a 14 million dollar budget and Hollywood stars Faye Dunaway and Johnny Depp. To this day no American distributors have shown any interest in showing the film in regular cinemas. "Arizona Dream" had its premiere in Belgrade, which didn't help the film's reputation. The film is now distributed in Europe, and Kusturica is finishing his latest movie in Belgrade ("Underground") - also in English, and again, for the non-English speaking market. His new film has cost 17 million dollars and was sponsored by the French production house which financed "Arizona Dream". It is interesting that French production houses find an interest in financing East European directors to make English-language films for the French market, at a time when the French Government, engulfed in nationalist passions, demands that even Mickey Mouse speak French.

The film "Our Lady" by Jakov Sedlar will have its premiere in New York at the Croatian Center of the Croatian Catholic Church of Saints Cyrill and Methodius, on 10 April (the anniversary of the pro-Nazi WWII Independent State of Croatia). Naturally, this date has been chosen for practical reasons, because it falls on a Monday, when most people spend the evening out, don't they? "Our Lady" was made with an 11 million dollar budget and Hollywood stars Morgan Fairchild and Martin Sheen. But even in this case, a high budget and famous names are no guarantee that the film will sell well. For the time being, only Croatian emigres have shown any interest for the film. They financed it and it has been made with them in mind. In order that it might show a profit, Sedlar has decided to sell tickets at ten times their price in America (75 dollars per ticket, or half a monthly salary in Croatia!), so that one showing will bring in as much as ten.

"Before the Rain" was made with two million dollars in the middle of Macedonia, in the Macedonian language and without a single Hollywood name. Rade Serbedzija plays the main role, and American critics are singing praises of his acting, even though this is the first time they have ever heard of him. How did Milce Mancevski succeed with much less money and no famous names while Emir Kusturica and Jakov Sedlar didn't and won't? (sell their films in America).

First, Milce has made a very good movie and he gives the viewers a sincere and moving story without imposing the truth, so that the truth is obvious to all and no one finds it funny. Secondly, Milce learned about film-making in America, where young directors make their first movies from the money they have earned working as waiters or moving furniture, which is a perfect way of learning how to make a good film with a small amount of money, unlike spoilt state directors who never learned this. Milce made spots for MTV (Arrested Development) and has the same sensibility that Quentin Tarrantino has, and with whom US critics often compare him. Tarrantino won an Oscar for "Pulp Fiction".

Milce Mancevski will co-produce Robert Redford's next film with Tommee Lee Jones. Emir Kusturica will continue to make expensive movies about Yugoslavia in English for the French, while Jakov Sedlar will continue to make expensive films about Croatia's suffering in English for rich Croats who no longer understand Croatian, and never learned English properly (so that the dialogue is irrelevant), but they have money and are willing to give it all for Croatia.