Friday, October 12

7:00 p.m.

Zona Zamfirova

Zona Zamfirova is based on the 1906 book by Serbian author Stevan Sremac and is set in the southern Serbian city of Niš in the 19th century. The plot follows the story of Zona Zamfirova (Katarina Radivojevic), a local rich man's daughter, and the vicissi-tudes of her affair with Mane (Vojin Cetkovic), an ordinary goldsmith. As it was undesirable for the daughter of a rich man to marry a craftsman, the two are at first divided, with the possibility of Zona marrying the son of other rich people, Manulac. Everything is, however, changed as Mane organizes a successful conspiracy to keep Zona for himself.

The film is the most watched Serbian movie ever, having been seen by a total of 1.2 million people in Serbia, and 1.6 million when Montenegro and Republika Srpska are counted (the only other territories where it had a general theater release).

Saturday, October 13

1:00 p.m.

Ivkova Slava

Ivkova Slava takes place in Nis, towards the end of the nineteenth century, during the calm down of the stormy historic events which led to the final liberation of southern Serbian parts from Turkish occupation. Director Sotra takes us back to times past with color and exacting detail: the sets, the costumes, the use of regional dialect, the feeling for a time when Serbia was reemerging from centuries of Ottoman subjugation, and notably the accurate portrayals of the ancient customs of the 'slava', or 'patron saint's day feast'. The comedy is about celebrating the traditional saint's day feast, organized by Ivko and how his guests test the Serbian hospitality.

Bonus Live Dance Performance by TALIJA

Saturday, October 13

3:00 p.m.*

Ensemble “Talija” from Belgrade, Serbia, will present the rich cultural heritage of the Balkans. One of Serbia’s leading professional ensembles, comprised of 30 dancers, musicians and singers, will perform a one-hour program following the film showing of Ivkova Slava. The famous dance group will also perform at St. Sava Cathedral, 6306 Broadview Road, Parma, OH 44134, after liturgy Sunday, October 14.

*Admission granted to ticket holders for the 1:00 p.m. showing of Ivkova Slava.

Saturday, October 13

7:00 p.m.

Sveti Georgije Ubiva Azdahu

Sveti Georgije Ubiva Azdahu is one of the most expensive Serbian movie productions to date. The movie starts with the Kingdom of Serbia, battling the remaining Turkish occupiers during the First Balkan War in 1912. It is largely set in and around a small village by the Sava River at Serbia’s border with Austria-Hungary. The movie’s central theme is a love triangle between the village gendarme Djordje, his wife Katarina and the young disabled war veteran Gavrilo, who was previously engaged to Katarina before he went to war and lost his arm in battle, and with the arm partly also his lust for life. Even though Katarina in the meantime married Djordje, she still has affection for Gavrilo, which is a source of friction between the two.

Friday, October 19

7:00 p.m.

Montevideo, Bog te video

Montevideo, Bog te video is a 2010 Serbian film directed by Dragan Bjelogrlić about a team that decides to follow a dream that takes them on a journey to the First World Football Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay. The film gained considerable media attention throughout 2010 and achieved significant box office success in Serbia since its release on December 21, 2010. More than a million people have watched the film in Serbia and Montenegro.

The story is loosely based on the novel Montevideo, Bog te video by the prominent Serbian sports journalist Vladimir Stanković. He drew inspiration to write a romanticized depiction of the late 1920s Serbia and the events that popularized the game of football in the country after having watched the American film The Game of Their Lives. The film was awarded the Audience Choice Award for best film in the main competition program at the 33rd Moscow International Film Festival.