Balkans Challenge - Official January 2020

[blueboybob]

3. The Red Lanterns (Greece, 1963)

[jdidaco]

(Screenshot from 'Blind Date'),

9. Veronica (Elisabeta Bostan, 1973) 7.5/10 (Romania)
10. Pacala (Geo Saizescu, 1974) 8/10 (Romania)
11. Blind Date (Nico Mastorakis, 1984) 7/10 (Greece)
12. The Next One (Nico Mastorakis, 1984) 5/10 (Greece)

Spoiler

1. Oh Babylon (Costas Ferris, 1989) 9/10 (Greece)
2. Sabirni centar (The Meeting Point, Goran Markovic, 1989) 8.5/10 (Yugoslavia (Serbia))
3. Urnebesna tragedija (The Tragic Burlesque, Goran Markovic, 1995) 7/10 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia)/Bulgaria)
4. Oi ores: Mia tetragoni tainia (The Hours: A Square Film, Antouanetta Angelidi, 1995) 8/10 (Greece)
5. Barierata (The Barrier, Christo Christov, 1979) 8.5/10 (Bulgaria)
6. Dumbrava minunata (The Enchanted Grove, Gheorghe Naghi, 1981) 7/10 (Romania)
7. Neka cudna zemlja (The Bizarre Country, Dragan Marinkovic, 1988) 8/10 (Yugoslavia (Serbia))
8. Vizantijsko plavo (Byzantine Blue, Dragan Marinkovic, 1993) 7/10 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia)

[ororama]

1. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.1 (1995) 54 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
2. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.2 (1995) 55 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

*First time viewing.

[blueboybob]

4. The Suspended Step of the Stork (Greece, 1991)
5. Forest of the Hanged (Romania, 1965)

[sol]

Greece Lightning and other hits

1. One Point O (2004) Romania
2. Alps / Alpeis (2011) Greece
3. Class Enemy (2013) Slovenia
4. Bullet Head (2017) Bulgaria
5. Philanthropy (2002) Romania
6. Katalin Varga (2009) Romania
7. The Magic City (1954) Greece
8. The Balkan Spy (1984) Yugoslavia
9. Miss Violence (2013) Greece
10. Domestic (2012) Romania
11. Antigone (1961) Greece
12. O Drakos (1956) Greece
13. Variola Vera (1982) Yugoslavia
14. The Barrier (1979) Bulgaria

15. Face to Face (1966) Greece



Compared by some to Lolita, this film focuses on a tutor who begins to have sexual fantasies about a flirtatious new pupil - yet the girl is in her early twenties here and the protagonist does not weasel his way into her life. In fact, compared to Lolita, the film is a little dramatically inert. Stylistically though, there is a lot of interest going on, with rapid-fire editing, intentional jump cuts, extreme low camera angles and dream/delusion blurring.

[jeroeno]

04. Bure baruta (Yugoslavia, 1998)

[Mario Gaborović]

12. Nebeska tema (2019) - Serbia
13. Šumanović - komedija umetnika (1987) - Serbia
14. Opasen char (1984) - Bulgaria
15. Baseynat (1977) - Bulgaria

Spoiler

01. Vdekja e kalit / The Death of the Horse (1992) - Albania
02. Glykia symmoria / Sweet Bunch (1983) - Greece
03. Ratni reporter / The War Reporter (2011) - Croatia
04. Politiki kouzina / A Touch of Spice (2003) - Greece
05. Beogradska trilogija (2018) - Serbia
06. Maska (2007) - Serbia
07. Chia e tazi pesen? (2003) - Bulgaria
08. Stoichkov (2012) - Bulgaria
09. Cu mâinile curate (1972) - Romania
10. Vrijeme šutnje (1971) + I Love You, Too... (1991) + Paranoja (1993) + Film with a Girl (2000) + Odvajanje (2015) + Rainy Afternoon (2015) + Stakleni čovjek (2015) + Trip (2017) + Zašto (2017) + Dokument Parakozmik (2018) Croatia
11. Stari majstor (2011) + The Fridge Factory and Clear Waters (2011) + Dvorišta (2015) + Vanja Radovanović: Inje (2018) - Montenegro

[sol]

Greece Lightning and other hits

1. One Point O (2004) Romania
2. Alps / Alpeis (2011) Greece
3. Class Enemy (2013) Slovenia
4. Bullet Head (2017) Bulgaria
5. Philanthropy (2002) Romania
6. Katalin Varga (2009) Romania
7. The Magic City (1954) Greece
8. The Balkan Spy (1984) Yugoslavia
9. Miss Violence (2013) Greece
10. Domestic (2012) Romania
11. Antigone (1961) Greece
12. O Drakos (1956) Greece
13. Variola Vera (1982) Yugoslavia
14. The Barrier (1979) Bulgaria
15. Face to Face (1966) Greece

16. A Girl's Tears (1980) Romania



Half of what we see here is filtered through the lens of a cameraman character, with such shots marked with a cross, and there is initially something of interest in how some folks act differently depending if the camera is turned on/off. As the film progresses though, the technique starts to feel more like a gimmick and with the cameraman's perspective often absent for minutes, much of the movie is indistinguishable from the average crime drama.

[sol]

Greece Lightning and other hits

1. One Point O (2004) Romania
2. Alps / Alpeis (2011) Greece
3. Class Enemy (2013) Slovenia
4. Bullet Head (2017) Bulgaria
5. Philanthropy (2002) Romania
6. Katalin Varga (2009) Romania
7. The Magic City (1954) Greece
8. The Balkan Spy (1984) Yugoslavia
9. Miss Violence (2013) Greece
10. Domestic (2012) Romania
11. Antigone (1961) Greece
12. O Drakos (1956) Greece
13. Variola Vera (1982) Yugoslavia
14. The Barrier (1979) Bulgaria
15. Face to Face (1966) Greece
16. A Girl's Tears (1980) Romania

17. A Film for Friends (2011) Romania



Filmed in a single take, this feature involves a man talking to the camera as he videos a last will and testament in the build-up to a planned suicide. This is a very difficult film to watch. Things soon grow repetitive as he keeps complaining and moaning before the camera, and we have to listen him to go on about his life for 33 minutes... and then after this point it only gets more grueling and difficult to view, relishing in pain, agony and sorrow.

[Cinepolis]

1. Be My Cat: A Film For Anne (Romania, 2015) - 6/10
The simple, but intriguing premise lives through the fantastic acting by director and lead actor Adrian Tofei. Everything else isn't half as interesting and I ask myself if it really was necessary to stretch the running time to the ninety minutes mark.

[Mario Gaborović]

16. Volio bih da sam golub (1990) - Bosnia and Herzegovina
17. Azemi (2014) - Kosovo
18. Kje je železna zavesa (1961) + Mariborski teden (1961) + Strupi (1964) + Turnir pri Šumiku (1965) + Muzej zahteva (1967) + Plamen v dvonožcu (1968) + Slavica exception (1971) + Promiskuiteta (1974) - Slovenia

Spoiler

01. Vdekja e kalit / The Death of the Horse (1992) - Albania
02. Glykia symmoria / Sweet Bunch (1983) - Greece
03. Ratni reporter / The War Reporter (2011) - Croatia
04. Politiki kouzina / A Touch of Spice (2003) - Greece
05. Beogradska trilogija (2018) - Serbia
06. Maska (2007) - Serbia
07. Chia e tazi pesen? (2003) - Bulgaria
08. Stoichkov (2012) - Bulgaria
09. Cu mâinile curate (1972) - Romania
10. Vrijeme šutnje (1971) + I Love You, Too... (1991) + Paranoja (1993) + Film with a Girl (2000) + Odvajanje (2015) + Rainy Afternoon (2015) + Stakleni čovjek (2015) + Trip (2017) + Zašto (2017) + Dokument Parakozmik (2018) Croatia
11. Stari majstor (2011) + The Fridge Factory and Clear Waters (2011) + Dvorišta (2015) + Vanja Radovanović: Inje (2018) - Montenegro
12. Nebeska tema (2019) - Serbia
13. Šumanović - komedija umetnika (1987) - Serbia
14. Opasen char (1984) - Bulgaria
15. Baseynat (1977) - Bulgaria

[cinephage]

01. California Dreamin by Cristian Nemescu (2007) 8/10 - Romania

[sol]

Rome wasn't built in a day, but Romania was watched in a month

1. One Point O (2004) Romania
2. Alps / Alpeis (2011) Greece
3. Class Enemy (2013) Slovenia
4. Bullet Head (2017) Bulgaria
5. Philanthropy (2002) Romania
6. Katalin Varga (2009) Romania
7. The Magic City (1954) Greece
8. The Balkan Spy (1984) Yugoslavia
9. Miss Violence (2013) Greece
10. Domestic (2012) Romania
11. Antigone (1961) Greece
12. O Drakos (1956) Greece
13. Variola Vera (1982) Yugoslavia
14. The Barrier (1979) Bulgaria
15. Face to Face (1966) Greece
16. A Girl's Tears (1980) Romania
17. A Film for Friends (2011) Romania

18. The Snails' Senator (1995) Romania



Dorel Visan really shines here, seeming increasingly delusional and megalomaniacal as the film wears on; particularly potent are the cutaways to him lazily playing chess in a lake with bikini-clad women while everyone else scavenges for a much-demanded escargot meal. The satirical targets are pretty obvious though and the humour did not quite translate to me, despite a lot of chaos and a young boy who likes to mimic whatever the senator does.

[ororama]

3. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.3 (1995) 55 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

Spoiler

1. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.1 (1995) 54 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
2. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.2 (1995) 55 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

*First time viewing.

[jeroeno]

05. Rdeci boogie ali Kaj ti je deklica (Yugoslavia, 1982)

[jdidaco]

(Screenshot from 'Vampire Journals'),

13. Magic in the Mirror (Ted Nicolaou, 1996) 6.5/10 (Romania)
14. Vampire Journals (Ted Nicolaou, 1997) 7/10 (Romania)
15. Technotise - Edit i ja (Technotise: Edit & I, Aleksa Gajic & Nebojsa Andric & Stevan Djordjevic, 2009) 7/10 (Serbia)
16. Na mlečnom putu/On the Milky Road (Emir Kusturica, 2016) 7.5/10 (Serbia)

Spoiler

1. Oh Babylon (Costas Ferris, 1989) 9/10 (Greece)
2. Sabirni centar (The Meeting Point, Goran Markovic, 1989) 8.5/10 (Yugoslavia (Serbia))
3. Urnebesna tragedija (The Tragic Burlesque, Goran Markovic, 1995) 7/10 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia)/Bulgaria)
4. Oi ores: Mia tetragoni tainia (The Hours: A Square Film, Antouanetta Angelidi, 1995) 8/10 (Greece)
5. Barierata (The Barrier, Christo Christov, 1979) 8.5/10 (Bulgaria)
6. Dumbrava minunata (The Enchanted Grove, Gheorghe Naghi, 1981) 7/10 (Romania)
7. Neka cudna zemlja (The Bizarre Country, Dragan Marinkovic, 1988) 8/10 (Yugoslavia (Serbia))
8. Vizantijsko plavo (Byzantine Blue, Dragan Marinkovic, 1993) 7/10 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia)
9. Veronica (Elisabeta Bostan, 1973) 7.5/10 (Romania)
10. Pacala (Geo Saizescu, 1974) 8/10 (Romania)
11. Blind Date (Nico Mastorakis, 1984) 7/10 (Greece)
12. The Next One (Nico Mastorakis, 1984) 5/10 (Greece)

[sol]

Rome wasn't built in a day, but Romania was watched in a month

1. One Point O (2004) Romania
2. Alps / Alpeis (2011) Greece
3. Class Enemy (2013) Slovenia
4. Bullet Head (2017) Bulgaria
5. Philanthropy (2002) Romania
6. Katalin Varga (2009) Romania
7. The Magic City (1954) Greece
8. The Balkan Spy (1984) Yugoslavia
9. Miss Violence (2013) Greece
10. Domestic (2012) Romania
11. Antigone (1961) Greece
12. O Drakos (1956) Greece
13. Variola Vera (1982) Yugoslavia
14. The Barrier (1979) Bulgaria
15. Face to Face (1966) Greece
16. A Girl's Tears (1980) Romania
17. A Film for Friends (2011) Romania
18. The Snails' Senator (1995) Romania

19. Tomka and His Friends (1977) Albania



We see what the war means from a child's point-of-view here; beyond politics and fighting, it is about freedom to them - and wartime conditions also lead to some dangerous games, like collecting unexploded shells. The young actors (and one young actress) are all well cast and natural, but it is the photography that is the real star here with several breathtaking bird's-eye and high camera angle shots amidst war-torn ruins and rubble.

[Mario Gaborović]

19. Skopje Remixed (2012) - North Macedonia
20. Samit na shamanite (2006)* - North Macedonia

Spoiler

01. Vdekja e kalit / The Death of the Horse (1992) - Albania
02. Glykia symmoria / Sweet Bunch (1983) - Greece
03. Ratni reporter / The War Reporter (2011) - Croatia
04. Politiki kouzina / A Touch of Spice (2003) - Greece
05. Beogradska trilogija (2018) - Serbia
06. Maska (2007) - Serbia
07. Chia e tazi pesen? (2003) - Bulgaria
08. Stoichkov (2012) - Bulgaria
09. Cu mâinile curate (1972) - Romania
10. Vrijeme šutnje (1971) + I Love You, Too... (1991) + Paranoja (1993) + Film with a Girl (2000) + Odvajanje (2015) + Rainy Afternoon (2015) + Stakleni čovjek (2015) + Trip (2017) + Zašto (2017)* + Dokument Parakozmik (2018)* Croatia
11. Stari majstor (2011) + The Fridge Factory and Clear Waters (2011) + Dvorišta (2015) + Vanja Radovanović: Inje (2018) - Montenegro
12. Nebeska tema (2019) - Serbia
13. Šumanović - komedija umetnika (1987) - Serbia
14. Opasen char (1984) - Bulgaria
15. Baseynat (1977) - Bulgaria
16. Volio bih da sam golub (1990) - Bosnia and Herzegovina
17. Azemi (2014) - Kosovo
18. Kje je železna zavesa (1961)* + Mariborski teden (1961)* + Strupi (1964)* + Turnir pri Šumiku (1965)* + Muzej zahteva (1967)* + Plamen v dvonožcu (1968)* + Slavica exception (1971)* + Promiskuiteta (1974) - Slovenia

* not on IMDB

[ororama]

4. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.4 (1995) * 55 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

Spoiler

1. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.1 (1995) 54 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
2. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.2 (1995) 55 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
3. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.3 (1995) 55 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

*First time viewing.

[maxwelldeux]

First Third Stats & Update

Through the first ~1/3 of the Balkans challenge this month, we have 11 so far and are always looking for more. Mario and sol are duking it out for first place, with jdidaco right behind; no one else is above 5 watches. The average is 6.9 points, and the median is 4.

Country stats aren't too surprising...
- 19: Greece
- 17: Romania
- 15: Yugoslavia
- 11: Croatia
- 10: Slovenia

Full Table

Participant	Unique Countries
Albania	2
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1
Bulgaria	7
Croatia	11
Greece	19
Kosovo	1
Montenegro	4
North Macedonia	2
Romania	17
Serbia	6
Slovenia	10
Yugoslavia	15

Currently sitting at seven country-specific leaderboards in the OP under Bonus Challenge 2. Check 'em out!

Bonus Challenges
Mario is currently rocking both bonus challenges, only an older film from the former Yugoslavia away from completing BC1. sol is halfway there with 6 different countries, followed by jdidaco with 5. For BC2, Mario is on top of 4/7 leaderboards, but no lead is safe there, so go watch some movies!

Time

Decades

Participant	Unique Countries
1950	3
1960	14
1970	11
1980	16
1990	16
2000	10
2010	25

Years

Participant	Unique Countries
1954	1
1955	1
1956	1
1960	1
1961	3
1962	2
1963	2
1964	1
1965	2
1966	1
1967	1
1968	1
1970	1
1971	2
1972	1
1973	1
1974	2
1977	2
1979	2
1980	1
1981	1
1982	2
1983	1
1984	4
1987	1
1988	4
1989	2
1990	1
1991	2
1992	1
1993	2
1995	7
1996	1
1997	1
1998	1
2000	1
2002	1
2003	2
2004	1
2006	1
2007	2
2009	2
2011	5
2012	3
2013	2
2014	1
2015	5
2016	1
2017	3
2018	4
2019	1

[Mario Gaborović]

maxwelldeux, some films I have seen are from Yugoslavia, but I don't name it so in order to avoid mess. I think it would be better to keep away from a single non-existing entity so we could have the precise data which countries are chosen.

I'm sad to see that this region isn't as popular as others; I mean I top the challenge but I live there. It feels like a hole in European map of cinema. Are Balkan films really that unappealing? I'd be glad to hear a reaction from some.

[maxwelldeux]

maxwelldeux, some films I have seen are from Yugoslavia, but I don't name it so in order to avoid mess. I think it would be better to keep away from a single non-existing entity so we could have the precise data which countries are chosen.

I see your point, but it's a bit too late for me to make a change in how I'm managing countries. IMDB lists Yugoslavia as a country, and six people are already reporting films from Yugoslavia, and it's too much for me to change now.

On your other point, I think there are a number of issues at play, but a couple small reasons are challenge fatigue and a popular genre challenge.

[Mario Gaborović]

maxwelldeux, some films I have seen are from Yugoslavia, but I don't name it so in order to avoid mess. I think it would be better to keep away from a single non-existing entity so we could have the precise data which countries are chosen.

I see your point, but it's a bit too late for me to make a change in how I'm managing countries. IMDB lists Yugoslavia as a country, and six people are already reporting films from Yugoslavia, and it's too much for me to change now.

On your other point, I think there are a number of issues at play, but a couple small reasons are challenge fatigue and a popular genre challenge.

One of the reasons might be that only Greece & Romania have official lists, so watching films from the rest of the Balkans seems like a no jumps on the rankings for the viewers. Even though a comparable selection was made for Serbia in 2016, I doubt such list is gonna make it any time soon due to numerous other waiting to become official.

The other issue that always worried me, is that post-2000 films get overexposure, while it was the 1960s when best films were made over here, just like in case of Poland or Czechoslovakia. But these gems hardly get any new checks, while any latest crap from Kusturica (On the Milky Road for example) don't need such a push.

[Mario Gaborović]

21. Barierata (1979) - Bulgaria
22. Toplo (1978) - Bulgaria
23. Da nije ljubavi, ne bi svita bilo (2004) - Serbia
24. Đorđe Vajfert - Georg Weifert (2012) - Serbia

Spoiler

01. Vdekja e kalit - Albania
02. Glykia symmoria (1983) - Greece
03. Ratni reporter (2011) - Croatia
04. Politiki kouzina (2003) - Greece
05. Beogradska trilogija (2018) - Serbia
06. Maska (2007) - Serbia
07. Chia e tazi pesen? (2003) - Bulgaria
08. Stoichkov (2012) - Bulgaria
09. Cu mâinile curate (1972) - Romania
10. Vrijeme šutnje (1971) + I Love You, Too... (1991) + Paranoja (1993) + Film with a Girl (2000) + Odvajanje (2015) + Rainy Afternoon (2015) + Stakleni čovjek (2015) + Trip (2017) + Zašto (2017)* + Dokument Parakozmik (2018)* Croatia
11. Stari majstor (2011) + The Fridge Factory and Clear Waters (2011) + Dvorišta (2015) + Vanja Radovanović: Inje (2018) - Montenegro
12. Nebeska tema (2019) - Serbia
13. Šumanović - komedija umetnika (1987) - Serbia
14. Opasen char (1984) - Bulgaria
15. Baseynat (1977) - Bulgaria
16. Volio bih da sam golub (1990) - Bosnia and Herzegovina
17. Azemi (2014) - Kosovo
18. Kje je železna zavesa (1961)* + Mariborski teden (1961)* + Strupi (1964)* + Turnir pri Šumiku (1965)* + Muzej zahteva (1967)* + Plamen v dvonožcu (1968)* + Slavica exception (1971)* + Promiskuiteta (1974) - Slovenia
19. Skopje Remixed (2012) - North Macedonia
20. Samit na shamanite (2006)* - North Macedonia

* not on IMDB

[maxwelldeux]

I need some soap for this Greece

1. Infinite Football (2018, Romania)
2. One Fine Day (1962, Yugoslavia)

3. Wild Growth (1963, Yugoslavia)
WC entry - comments will be posted there.

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

I'm sitting this challenge out as I'm not all that keen on the new 24-region revolving system for 2020-2021 and I also seem to be a bit low on energy for film-watching these first few days of the new year. It's nice though to see your comments regarding 1960's cinema from the region, Mario. A golden era for sure!

[sol]

First Third Stats & Update

Thanks as always for the stats, max - though if you asked me whether I would prefer to see stats here or the 2019 Challenge Olympics wrapped up, I know what I would have voted for.

I'm sad to see that this region isn't as popular as others; I mean I top the challenge but I live there. It feels like a hole in European map of cinema. Are Balkan films really that unappealing? I'd be glad to hear a reaction from some.

I think it's more a case of availability. There is not a wealth of Balkan films - with English subtitles - readily available online. I did some research in the early days of the Challenge, and I was initially concerned about being able to make it up to the magic 36 number without investing heavily in rewatches. In the time since, I have discovered CinePub, which has been an amazing resource for Romanian cinema, and indeed, looking at the other stuff I ambitiously have lined up for the rest of the month, 70% of it is Romanian, largely sourced from CinePub. That said, there is a lot of stuff available out there unsubbed from other areas of the Balkan Peninsula.

So, I think availability is the main issue. The lack of Official Lists is probably a slight issue too, as well as the limited overlap between the Balkan Challenge and the other two Official Challenges this month. The other main issue though is probably that Sci-Fi/Fantasy is just such a massively popular Challenge. I mean, this thread is not a whole lot less active than the current 1000<400 Official Challenge. I don't have the historical data on tap to prove it, but I don't recall Russia or Australia/NZ being particularly popular challenges either when they were pitched against Sci-Fi/Fantasy.

But yes, the very biggest issue is that films from the Balkan are unappealing.

[Mario Gaborović]

I think it's more a case of availability. There is not a wealth of Balkan films - with English subtitles - readily available online.

There's subtitles for about 1000 (ex)Yugoslavian films from all decades, just to let you know.

[sol]

Yes - but not readily available.

[sol]

Rome wasn't built in a day, but Romania was watched in a month

1. One Point O (2004) Romania
2. Alps / Alpeis (2011) Greece
3. Class Enemy (2013) Slovenia
4. Bullet Head (2017) Bulgaria
5. Philanthropy (2002) Romania
6. Katalin Varga (2009) Romania
7. The Magic City (1954) Greece
8. The Balkan Spy (1984) Yugoslavia
9. Miss Violence (2013) Greece
10. Domestic (2012) Romania
11. Antigone (1961) Greece
12. O Drakos (1956) Greece
13. Variola Vera (1982) Yugoslavia
14. The Barrier (1979) Bulgaria
15. Face to Face (1966) Greece
16. A Girl's Tears (1980) Romania
17. A Film for Friends (2011) Romania
18. The Snails' Senator (1995) Romania
19. Tomka and His Friends (1977) Albania

20. Goodbye, 20TH Century (1998) Macedonia



This feature consists of three segments set in the future, beginning of the twentieth century and end of the century respectively. Each story is a little weird and outlandish, but they do not flow very well off one another and are barely related. The strongest segment at least comes last like icing on a cake, with lots of wackiness as a man in a Santa suit attends a wake with unusual mourners (see above). The other two tales are less engaging though.

[blocho]

Are Balkan films really that unappealing? I'd be glad to hear a reaction from some.

Access is a factor. I'd be eager to see a really good movie from a few countries for my ongoing Travel the World efforts, if anyone has a copy: North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Slovenia.

1. Then I Sentenced Them All to Death (Romania, 1972)
Good story, and had some great scenes, but it felt kind of loose and random.

[ororama]

5. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.5 (1995) * 55 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
6. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.6 (1995) * 53 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

I prefer to go into a movie without too much foreknowledge. I was expecting grim and bitter, but it turned out to be wild and funny (with an undercurrent of grim and bitter). A very pleasant surprise. I've been wanting to watch this miniseries for a long time, so the coincidence of this challenge and a TV challenge that I'm also doing this month was the perfect opportunity. At a latter time, I'll watch the shorter theatrical version (the official check).

Spoiler

1. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.1 (1995) 54 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
2. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.2 (1995) 55 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
3. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.3 (1995) 55 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
4. Once Upon a Time There Was One Country : Episode #1.4 (1995) * 55 min. (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

*First time viewing.

[sol]

Rome wasn't built in a day, but Romania was watched in a month

1. One Point O (2004) Romania
2. Alps / Alpeis (2011) Greece
3. Class Enemy (2013) Slovenia
4. Bullet Head (2017) Bulgaria
5. Philanthropy (2002) Romania
6. Katalin Varga (2009) Romania
7. The Magic City (1954) Greece
8. The Balkan Spy (1984) Yugoslavia
9. Miss Violence (2013) Greece
10. Domestic (2012) Romania
11. Antigone (1961) Greece
12. O Drakos (1956) Greece
13. Variola Vera (1982) Yugoslavia
14. The Barrier (1979) Bulgaria
15. Face to Face (1966) Greece
16. A Girl's Tears (1980) Romania
17. A Film for Friends (2011) Romania
18. The Snails' Senator (1995) Romania
19. Tomka and His Friends (1977) Albania
20. Goodbye, 20TH Century (1998) Macedonia

21. The Childhood of Icarus (2009) Romania



A film about an amputee who undergoes an experimental process for regenerating lost limbs. The project comes with intriguing pseudoscience and real-life amputee Guillaume Depardieu is perfectly pensive in the lead role. The focus here though is what happens when the treatment goes awry with a new organ forming. While this plot turn be ripe for a Cronenberg horror film, I did not find that it added a whole lot to this tale of longing and regret.

[cinephage]

02. Marilena de la P7, by Cristian Nemescu (2006) 8,5/10 - Romania

This one will certainly be added to my 500<400 list, it is a great "short" (45 mn) film...

Spoiler

01. California Dreamin by Cristian Nemescu (2007) 8/10 - Romania

[maxwelldeux]

02. Marilena de la P7, by Cristian Nemescu (2006) 8,5/10

This one will certainly be added to my 500<400 list, it is a great "short" (45 mn) film...

Spoiler

01. California Dreamin by Cristian Nemescu (2007) 8/10 - Romania

Country?

[sol]

Rome wasn't built in a day, but Romania was watched in a month

1. One Point O (2004) Romania
2. Alps / Alpeis (2011) Greece
3. Class Enemy (2013) Slovenia
4. Bullet Head (2017) Bulgaria
5. Philanthropy (2002) Romania
6. Katalin Varga (2009) Romania
7. The Magic City (1954) Greece
8. The Balkan Spy (1984) Yugoslavia
9. Miss Violence (2013) Greece
10. Domestic (2012) Romania
11. Antigone (1961) Greece
12. O Drakos (1956) Greece
13. Variola Vera (1982) Yugoslavia
14. The Barrier (1979) Bulgaria
15. Face to Face (1966) Greece
16. A Girl's Tears (1980) Romania
17. A Film for Friends (2011) Romania
18. The Snails' Senator (1995) Romania
19. Tomka and His Friends (1977) Albania
20. Goodbye, 20TH Century (1998) Macedonia
21. The Childhood of Icarus (2009) Romania

22. The Forgiveness of Blood (2011) Albania



I found this fascinating for the insight it provides into a very different culture. Expected tension comes as the teenager questions the old ways and there are welcome breaks in the monotony with danger in the air as he sneaks out at night. The film also shows the effects on his similarly housebound brother who is too young to understand it, while Sindi Lacej is phenomenal as their sister who suddenly finds herself forced into being the breadwinner.

[cinephage]

02. Marilena de la P7, by Cristian Nemescu (2006) 8,5/10

This one will certainly be added to my 500<400 list, it is a great "short" (45 mn) film...

Spoiler

01. California Dreamin by Cristian Nemescu (2007) 8/10 - Romania

Country?

Romania

Sorry about this...

[Mario Gaborović]

25. Bota - Albania
26. Bugarski zarobljenici u beogradskom Donjem gradu (1913)* + Dolazak IV konjičkog puka u Beograd i doček na železničkoj stanici (1913)* + Grambergova bolnica pri radu (1913)* + Srpska armija u polju (1913)* + Srpska konjica i avijacija na Trupalskom polju kod Niša 1913. godine (1913)* + Polaganje temelja Bogosloviji svetog Save, 27. aprila 1914. godine (1914)* + Mašinica (2012) - Serbia
27. Proslava 1600-godišnjice Milanskog edikta u Nišu 1913. godine (1913)* + Dolazak regruta (1914)* + Život srpske vojske u logoru na Banjici (1914)* + Scene iz života Kralja Aleksandra (1934)* + Spomenik češkim vojnicima (1934)* + Kosta (1962) - Serbia

Spoiler

01. Vdekja e kalit - Albania
02. Glykia symmoria (1983) - Greece
03. Ratni reporter (2011) - Croatia
04. Politiki kouzina (2003) - Greece
05. Beogradska trilogija (2018) - Serbia
06. Maska (2007) - Serbia
07. Chia e tazi pesen? (2003) - Bulgaria
08. Stoichkov (2012) - Bulgaria
09. Cu mâinile curate (1972) - Romania
10. Vrijeme šutnje (1971) + I Love You, Too... (1991) + Paranoja (1993) + Film with a Girl (2000) + Odvajanje (2015) + Rainy Afternoon (2015) + Stakleni čovjek (2015) + Trip (2017) + Zašto (2017)* + Dokument Parakozmik (2018)* Croatia
11. Stari majstor (2011) + The Fridge Factory and Clear Waters (2011) + Dvorišta (2015) + Vanja Radovanović: Inje (2018) - Montenegro
12. Nebeska tema (2019) - Serbia
13. Šumanović - komedija umetnika (1987) - Serbia
14. Opasen char (1984) - Bulgaria
15. Baseynat (1977) - Bulgaria
16. Volio bih da sam golub (1990) - Bosnia and Herzegovina
17. Azemi (2014) - Kosovo
18. Kje je železna zavesa (1961)* + Mariborski teden (1961)* + Strupi (1964)* + Turnir pri Šumiku (1965)* + Muzej zahteva (1967)* + Plamen v dvonožcu (1968)* + Slavica exception (1971)* + Promiskuiteta (1974) - Slovenia
19. Skopje Remixed (2012) - North Macedonia
20. Samit na shamanite (2006)* - North Macedonia
21. Barierata (1979) - Bulgaria
22. Toplo (1978) - Bulgaria
23. Da nije ljubavi, ne bi svita bilo (2004) - Serbia
24. Đorđe Vajfert - Georg Weifert (2012) - Serbia

* not on IMDB

[Teproc]

1. La Gomera (Corneliu Porumboiu) - Romania - 7/10

A strange thriller with that very peculiar sense of humour that seems present in most Romanian New Wave films, but it turns more serious as it goes on and loses a bit of its charm there, though the main femme fatale (Catrinel Marlon) is quite good.

Spoiler

1. La Gomera - Romania

[jdidaco]

(Publicity card (also a screenshot) from 'The Day the Fish Came Out'),

17. Alloimono stous neous (Alas for the Youth, Alekos Sakellarios, 1961) 8/10 (Greece)
18. ...Otan ta psaria vgikan sti steria!/The Day the Fish Came Out (Michael Cacoyannis, 1967) 9/10 (Greece) (RV)
19. O lipotaktis (The Deserter, Christos Kefalas, 1970) 7/10 (Greece)
20. Arhangelos tou pathous (Potlatch, Nikos Vergitsis, 1987) 6.5/10 (Greece)

Spoiler

1. Oh Babylon (Costas Ferris, 1989) 9/10 (Greece)
2. Sabirni centar (The Meeting Point, Goran Markovic, 1989) 8.5/10 (Yugoslavia (Serbia))
3. Urnebesna tragedija (The Tragic Burlesque, Goran Markovic, 1995) 7/10 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia)/Bulgaria)
4. Oi ores: Mia tetragoni tainia (The Hours: A Square Film, Antouanetta Angelidi, 1995) 8/10 (Greece)
5. Barierata (The Barrier, Christo Christov, 1979) 8.5/10 (Bulgaria)
6. Dumbrava minunata (The Enchanted Grove, Gheorghe Naghi, 1981) 7/10 (Romania)
7. Neka cudna zemlja (The Bizarre Country, Dragan Marinkovic, 1988) 8/10 (Yugoslavia (Serbia))
8. Vizantijsko plavo (Byzantine Blue, Dragan Marinkovic, 1993) 7/10 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia)
9. Veronica (Elisabeta Bostan, 1973) 7.5/10 (Romania)
10. Pacala (Geo Saizescu, 1974) 8/10 (Romania)
11. Blind Date (Nico Mastorakis, 1984) 7/10 (Greece)
12. The Next One (Nico Mastorakis, 1984) 5/10 (Greece)
13. Magic in the Mirror (Ted Nicolaou, 1996) 6.5/10 (Romania)
14. Vampire Journals (Ted Nicolaou, 1997) 7/10 (Romania)
15. Technotise - Edit i ja (Technotise: Edit & I, Aleksa Gajic & Nebojsa Andric & Stevan Djordjevic, 2009) 7/10 (Serbia)
16. Na mlečnom putu/On the Milky Road (Emir Kusturica, 2016) 7.5/10 (Serbia)