Eastern European Challenge (Official, November 2022)

[shugs]

Official Eastern European Challenge



Goal
- Watch lots of movies from the following countries:

• Albania
• Belarus
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Estonia
• Greece
• Kosovo
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• Romania
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Ukraine
• Yugoslavia (specify the country that made the movie)

Rules
- Each feature film (over 40 minutes) counts as one entry.
- 80 minutes of short films or miniseries/TV episodes counts as one entry.
- Films must be watched one at a time and at single speed (not sped up).
- Rewatches are allowed and are good for the soul.
- Please include year of release when listing your viewings.
- Don't edit posts to include new movies you've watched. Always make new posts.
-Please indicate each film's country when listing your viewings otherwise your score will NOT be included in the leaderboard.

Eligibility
For films to qualify for this Challenge, they need to have an eligible country listed as a production country on the film's IMDb page.

Co-Productions
A number of Eastern European films are co-productions with non-eligible countries. Please use some common sense to determine whether these films really represent Eastern European cinema. For example, Cold Mountain is not a Romanian movie.

Official lists
Asociatia Criticilor de Film's Best Romanian Films
Cine.gr's The Best of Greek Cinema

Other lists
Belarusfilm Top 20
Eesti Päevaleht: Estonian film classics
Estonian Film 100
Latvian Cultural Canon: Cinema
Latvian National Film Festival - Lielais Kristaps Award (Best Feature)
Lithuanian Film Academy - Silver Crane Award - Best Film
Top 15 Ukrainian Films
Dovzhenko Centre's Top 100 Ukrainian Films
Mubi Forum's Favorite Balkan Films
The National Film Archive of Bosnia and Herzegovina's 10 Best Bosnian Films
Union of Bulgarian Film Makers' Top 12 Bulgarian Films
Croatia
Ekran's Top 10 Slovenian Films
Yugoslav Film Archive's 100 Serbian Films of Cultural Heritage

Forum Recommendations
St. Gloede - Top 25 Yugoslavian Films | Before the Truth | The Walled In
Mario Gaborović - Landscape with a Woman | A Little Bit of Soul | Rhythm of a Crime | Taiwan Canasta
airdoll - Stone Wedding | Spider

Movies watched this challenge:

Participants

Ranking	Participant	Score
1	Mario Gaborović	145
2	jdidaco	40
3	DudeLanez	25
4	shugs	15
5	sol	11
6	airdolll	9
6	Tngy	9
8	Arkantos	4
9	blocho	2
9	maxwelldeux	2
9	St. Gloede	2
12	AB537	1
12	gunnar	1

[shugs]

If you have any personal lists or recommendations, let me know and I'll add them to the description.

[St. Gloede]

I'm in.

My top 25 Yugoslavian films: https://letterboxd.com/gloede/list/top- ... ian-films/

[Mario Gaborović]

If you have any personal lists or recommendations, let me know and I'll add them to the description.

Given the fact that you could now pick two countries for the WC, and that you considered to take over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Žena sa krajolikom (Landscape with a Woman) and Ovo malo duše (A Little Bit of Soul) are best recs I could give you for the possible next rounds.

[shugs]

Added your recommendations to the OP.

[Mario Gaborović]

When I die, I'd like to be buried together with a copy of "Landscape with a Woman". - Emir Kusturica



Originally, the only film of Ivica Matić (1948-1976) was actually a TV drama shot in 1974, but his premature death at the age of just 28 postponed theatrical release. His friends and associates arranged a production and released it as a theatrical feature in 1989.

Matić suffered a weak heart from childbirth, and one day before he left this world he went to help some friends who were building a house. Then he just lied down and never woke up. Besides one feature film, he made some short documentaries before yet none of them is available online at the moment.

Landscape with a Woman is a story about the relation between an artist and society, and how one tries to evade his fate that life already prepared to him.

[St. Gloede]

I'll be sure to catch Landscape with a Woman, Mario!

-

Also, for those interested, in the Yugoslav Black Wave lounge Mario has added descriptions of a long set of directors: viewtopic.php?t=6070&view=unread#unread

We also realized we shared the same favourite director of the movement, Vojislav 'Kokan' Rakonjac, as well as which films we consider his best:

Before the Truth - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181773/

&

The Walled In - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181180/

-

My reviews of the two films:

Spoiler

Pre istine / Before the Truth (1967, Vojislav 'Kokan' Rakonjac)



Dreamlike and visually stunning - at times almost experimental - Before the Truth draws together a simultaneously complex and vague net of unknown actions and ties as a disgraced party official is ushered through an increasingly strange journey - ending with an encounter with a man he was meant to execute during WW2.

I don't want to throw around this comparison lightly, but it almost has a sense of Last Year at Marienbad - with our two characters having widely different interpretations of the past - and a present that almost seems to fold over itself - to the point that you can even question what is real - and what we are meant to look at. 

Massive protests, seemingly about Vietnam, rage in the streets, while our leads are slumming it in strip clubs, meeting hookers, fighting in bars and streets - never quite sure of what the relationship between them will truly be - their intentions, and what is the actual target. Is our lead, for instance, the very being of Yugoslavia/the communist party? Are these two men really different? Is one better than the other? While ending on a somewhat slight note, this is a film I'm quite likely to revisit, and it has so incredibly much to offer, and perhaps even more to be uncovered.


Zazidani / The Walled In (1969, Vojislav 'Kokan' Rakonjac)



Guard vs prisoner - prisoner vs. guard. The Walled In is not only the surprise sequel to Before the Truth, it is a continuation and near-perfect companion in both style and content. The only thing missing is the eerie shots of the streets and the sense of wandering. Everything else, from the feeling of displacement, uncertainty and uneasy bonds are all there - there is just much less space to move within.

The Walled In actually creates an even more intense relationship than in Before the Truth, as rather than benders and memories of an old past, this sequel creates a sense of a mental war - one where you are never sure where you are, and the loss of reality seem even further upon on. It ups the ante with games and plays once again with the sense of friendship. The stakes seem higher - and the possibility for manipulation, deceit and even insanity is striking. 

[Mario Gaborović]

Some important lists:

https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/yugo ... ge/mjf314/

[airdolll]

Thanks a lot for the Black Wave thread and sharing so much knowledge about these obscured directors. Very much appreciated and I'm hoping to watch a few this month.
Recent discoveries of mine that I loved and recommend:

Nunta de Piatra (1973, Romania)
Zirneklis (1991, Latvia)

[shugs]

1. 12:08 East of Bucharest (Corneliu Porumboiu, 2006, ) - 8->8/10 REWATCH Romania

My second rewatch, and it's still as funny as the first time, though I'm afraid some of the humor may be lost in translation.

[St. Gloede]

I have this one my watchlist for this challenge, will push it up now.

Right now it looks like I'll focus on Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria and quite likely Sergey Lozintsa from Ukraine - but will watch out for any and all recommendations from this thread along the way.

[sol]

Thanks for hosting, shugs. Let's see what worthwhile stuff I can find from your part of the world.

To begin with:

1. Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus (2020) Croatia



An experimental film that, true to the title though, is best thought of as a rebus puzzle where nothing is straightforward. While a bit frustrating, the film is such an amazing visual feast that immersion comes easily. The movie is mostly rotoscope animated with unusual supersaturated colours. The project has a noir vibe too with men in hats and overcoats, but with intense red, blues, oranges and pinks, the whole thing almost appears painted pop art in style.

[Mario Gaborović]

Ok I started with some Macedonian TV dramas that recently emerged on some YT channel.

01. Sredba (1974) - North Macedonia
02. Od zad grb (1985) - North Macedonia
03. Dobra dolina (1973) - North Macedonia
04. Novogodišen karusel (1973) - North Macedonia
05. Kako se sakaa Pertef i Leonida (1974) - North Macedonia
06. Smilevskiot kongres (1973) - North Macedonia
07. Prva večer (1974) - North Macedonia
08. Severo istočno od jugozapad (2000) - North Macedonia
09. Golemata soba (1977) - North Macedonia
10. Cvekje na karpata (1989) - North Macedonia
11. Marika leta so avion (1988) - North Macedonia
12. Ispoved na taksistot (1984) - North Macedonia

[sol]

Ok I started with some Macedonian TV dramas that recently emerged on some YT channel.

01. Sredba (1974) - North Macedonia
...
12. Ispoved na taksistot (1984) - North Macedonia

You watched twelve films consecutively over a 12.5 hour period, starting at 12:01am on Tuesday in your time zone? It's OK if that's true; just checking.

[Mario Gaborović]

Ok I started with some Macedonian TV dramas that recently emerged on some YT channel.

01. Sredba (1974) - North Macedonia
...
12. Ispoved na taksistot (1984) - North Macedonia

You watched twelve films consecutively over a 12.5 hour period, starting at 12:01am on Tuesday in your time zone? It's OK if that's true; just checking.

Yes because those are shortest checks I lined up for this challenge exclusively; TV dramas from Yugoslavia usually have running times around 55 minutes, but many of these are even shorter. I intentionally watched some other (1hr long and more) BEFORE the challenge. Also I was work-free that day.

I want to raise the number of checks because you guys cancelled Balkan challenge for low participation. Now I'm gonna level this thing up. Not sure if I will succeed, but I'll try anyway.

[sol]

I want to raise the number of checks because you guys cancelled Balkan challenge for low participation. Now I'm gonna level this thing up. Not sure if I will succeed, but I'll try anyway.

This might have an unintentional reverse effect, though I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I just know that, from personal experience, I watch far less in challenges that I have no hope of winning. I'll still log a few more films here because I have a couple of Romanian films lined up, plus I want to cross Cyprus, Moldova, Montenegro and Belarus off my 2022 Letterboxd World Map, but I'm probably not going to get into double digits here. It's probably better anyway if I don't go full-in after going full-in during October, plus it will give some other folks a chance to finish in the top 10 here if I'm not aiming for it.

[Mario Gaborović]

I want to raise the number of checks because you guys cancelled Balkan challenge for low participation. Now I'm gonna level this thing up. Not sure if I will succeed, but I'll try anyway.

This might have an unintentional reverse effect, though I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I just know that, from personal experience, I watch far less in challenges that I have no hope of winning. I'll still log a few more films here because I have a couple of Romanian films lined up, plus I want to cross Cyprus, Moldova, Montenegro and Belarus off my 2022 Letterboxd World Map, but I'm probably not going to get into double digits here. It's probably better anyway if I don't go full-in after going full-in during October, plus it will give some other folks a chance to finish in the top 10 here if I'm not aiming for it.

If you wanna cross off Montenegro there's a very good arthouse released just recently, named Elegija lovora / The Elegy of Laurel. Or if you want it from Yugoslavian period, you should check U ime naroda / In the Name of the People.

[sol]

I appreciate the recommendations, though neither are available on my streaming services. Luckily, I have something in mind for Montenegro already.

[Tngy]

1. Mamula (2014) 4/10 Serbia

Quite boring B-horror movie from Serbia, wouldn't recommend.

[DudeLanez]

1. The Counterfeit Coin (1955, Yorgos Tzavellas) 6,5/10 - Greece
2. Young Aphrodites (1963, Nikos Koundouros) 7/10 - Greece

[airdolll]

1. Schaste moe | My Joy (2010) Ukraine
2. Risttuules | In the Crosswind (2014) Estonia

Two forum favorites that got very different responses from me. I struggled a lot with Schaste moe, found myself very detached and unengaged and I didn't feel like it paid off at the end. But Risttuules was an impressive surprise. All I knew is that it was a modern b&w historical film, but I hadn't seen any trailers and had no clue of how it would exactly look like. My jaw dropped within the first five minutes. If it were physically possible to transport oneself inside a photography, this is how I imagine it would feel like. Or sometimes, the images are the ones transporting themselves to the outside as if they were reaching you. It's something fresh and exciting and thanks to the runtime being short it doesn't end up feeling too monotonous. Asides from the cinematography, also worth-noting the commitment of the entire cast to pull this off.




“The idea actually came from one precise letter, quite the first one I read. There was a line: ‘I feel like time has stopped here in Siberia. That my body is in Siberia, but my soul is still in my homeland.' Then it struck me that a wanted to make a film, where everybody and the time has stopped. To recreate the feeling; what those people in Siberia felt."
Source.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus (2020) Croatia

2. Touch Me Not (2018) Romania



The messages at hand seem rather simplistic here: trans bodies are beautiful; differently abled bodies are beautiful; none of us should be ashamed of our bodies. The protagonist gets the occasional solid moment of introspection (talking about being the same age as her trans interviewee and unsure if she is happy with her own biological body) and it is interesting to hear the physically handicapped guy speak. The whole thing though is kind of underwhelming.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus (2020) Croatia
2. Touch Me Not (2018) Romania

3. The Whistlers (2019) Romania



Revolving around the experiences of a corrupt cop who has to learn a whistling language to covertly communicate, this Romanian crime thriller sounded interesting to me on paper. The language learning though is pretty much a secondary concern though, which is a shame because I wanted to know more about the language rather than work out who is double-crossing who and why the corrupt cop is so unfazed about his mother donating his stolen money.

[St. Gloede]

1. Ikonostasat / The Altarpiece Maker (1969. Christo Christov & Todor Dinov) Bulgaria



Starting with one I had huge expectations for, The Altarpiece Maker is a bit of a dark, and somewhat droll look at a Bulgarian community under the Greek church in the 19th century. It reminds me a fair bit of the work Stefan Uher was doing in Czechoslovakia around the same time, though not quite as visually striking, and I can see comparisons being made to Andrey Rublev too, though far slighter and a little naughtier. The altarpiece maker himself is no saint and promptly seduces the daughter of the house he is kept while completing his grand work. The film is somewhat cold and stripped back, but not to the point of many contemporaries, nor is it as visually breathtaking - though still thoroughly well made and good looking (the competition is just really steep). I felt I had started drifting off when we get to the explosive climax towards the end (as many of the key narrative drives already seemed washed away and the characters were not that deep). A sudden change in direction/focus was also intriguing as the Church suddenly plays a bigger role in a less than expected way. 7/10

2. Baltagul / The Axe (1970, Mircea Muresan) Romania



Baltagul is a slow-brooding mystery and revenge story where a woman will not give up looking for her husband. The climax is memorable and stiking, but I struggled to get into it as the opening seemed as if it was played for comedy. The film would have done far better with a more detached and grooming atmosphere and more striking visuals IMO, as the key components for a great film were all there. 6/10

[shugs]

2. Tales from the Golden Age (Cristian Mungiu, Hanno Höfer, Constantin Popescu Jr., Ioana Uricaru, Răzvan Marculescu, ) - 7->7/10 REWATCH Romania
Anthology comedy about the final years of communism in Romania. Some of the stories are better than the others, but they all manage to capture the sad absurdity of living in those times.
3. Meda or The Not So Bright Side of Things (Emanuel Pârvu, 2017, ) - 5/10 Romania
Archetypical misery porn movie. A father from a poor rural area tries to raise some money to get to keep his adopted daughter after his wife dies, but nothing goes his way. The script is not bad, but the actors all look like they just came back from a hipster convention, not like rugged subsistence-living lumberjacks.
4. The Unsaved (Igor Cobileanski, 2013, ) - 7/10 Moldova
Wish this coming of age movie was a little bit longer, felt rushed at times.

Spoiler

1. 12:08 East of Bucharest (Corneliu Porumboiu, 2006, ) - 8->8/10 REWATCH Romania

[sol]

The Unsaved (Igor Cobileanski, 2013, ) - 7/10 Moldova
Wish this coming of age movie was a little bit longer, felt rushed at times.

For whatever reason, this seems to be everyone's go-to Moldovan film, but I didn't think very much of it myself. Suffice it to say that I definitely won't be using this one in the upcoming World Cup, though I don't know if I should be promoting my alternative choices in case some want it left a surprise.

[shugs]

The Unsaved (Igor Cobileanski, 2013, ) - 7/10 Moldova
Wish this coming of age movie was a little bit longer, felt rushed at times.

For whatever reason, this seems to be everyone's go-to Moldovan film, but I didn't think very much of it myself. Suffice it to say that I definitely won't be using this one in the upcoming World Cup, though I don't know if I should be promoting my alternative choices in case some want it left a surprise.

It's only my second movie from Moldova, but so far I'm impressed by what I've seen. Moldovan actors at least seem to be miles ahead of their Romanian contemporaries.

Can't wait to see your recommendations in the World Cup!

[Mario Gaborović]

The Unsaved (Igor Cobileanski, 2013, ) - 7/10 Moldova
Wish this coming of age movie was a little bit longer, felt rushed at times.

For whatever reason, this seems to be everyone's go-to Moldovan film, but I didn't think very much of it myself. Suffice it to say that I definitely won't be using this one in the upcoming World Cup, though I don't know if I should be promoting my alternative choices in case some want it left a surprise.

I agree and that's great, because The Boy Who Followed the Sun is going to wipe off the opponents.

[Mario Gaborović]

13. Rojtari i Bjeshkëve (2010) - Kosovo
14. Dasmat dhe pampersat (2007) - Kosovo
15. Martesa (2017) - Kosovo
16. Vera andrron detin (2021) - Kosovo

Spoiler

01. Sredba (1974) - North Macedonia
02. Od zad grb (1985) - North Macedonia
03. Dobra dolina (1973) - North Macedonia
04. Novogodišen karusel (1973) - North Macedonia
05. Kako se sakaa Pertef i Leonida (1974) - North Macedonia
06. Smilevskiot kongres (1973) - North Macedonia
07. Prva večer (1974) - North Macedonia
08. Severo istočno od jugozapad (2000) - North Macedonia
09. Golemata soba (1977) - North Macedonia
10. Cvekje na karpata (1989) - North Macedonia
11. Marika leta so avion (1988) - North Macedonia
12. Ispoved na taksistot (1984) - North Macedonia

[DudeLanez]

3. Thanos and Despina (1967, Nikos Papatakis) 6/10 - Greece
4. The Goat Horn (1972, Metodi Andonov) 7/10 - Bulgaria

GRE: 3 / BUL: 1

1. The Counterfeit Coin (1955, Yorgos Tzavellas) 6,5/10 - Greece
2. Young Aphrodites (1963, Nikos Koundouros) 7/10 - Greece
3. Thanos and Despina (1967, Nikos Papatakis) 6/10 - Greece
4. The Goat Horn (1972, Metodi Andonov) 7/10 - Bulgaria

[gunnar]

1 - The Old Man Movie (2019) - 8.5/10 - Estonia - When the farmer's grandchildren come to visit, it disrupts his milking routine and the cow goes missing. They have 24 hours to track down the cow or it will explode. This movie is crazy (in a good way) and I was laughing throughout much of it. We get all sorts of things in here - chainsaws, hippies, tree sex, rock and roll, a mechanical cow, and lots of shit.

[Mario Gaborović]

17. Pogled u noć (1978) - Bosnia and Herzegovina
18. Strijelac (1998) - Bosnia and Herzegovina
19. Po tamburi (2021) - Croatia
20. Naslovnica (2014) - Croatia
21. Prezimiti u Riu (2002) - Croatia
22. Spomenik (2015) - Croatia

Spoiler

01. Sredba (1974) - North Macedonia
02. Od zad grb (1985) - North Macedonia
03. Dobra dolina (1973) - North Macedonia
04. Novogodišen karusel (1973) - North Macedonia
05. Kako se sakaa Pertef i Leonida (1974) - North Macedonia
06. Smilevskiot kongres (1973) - North Macedonia
07. Prva večer (1974) - North Macedonia
08. Severo istočno od jugozapad (2000) - North Macedonia
09. Golemata soba (1977) - North Macedonia
10. Cvekje na karpata (1989) - North Macedonia
11. Marika leta so avion (1988) - North Macedonia
12. Ispoved na taksistot (1984) - North Macedonia
13. Rojtari i Bjeshkëve (2010) - Kosovo
14. Dasmat dhe pampersat (2007) - Kosovo
15. Martesa (2017) - Kosovo
16. Vera andrron detin (2021) - Kosovo

[sol]

The Unsaved (Igor Cobileanski, 2013, ) - 7/10 Moldova
Wish this coming of age movie was a little bit longer, felt rushed at times.

For whatever reason, this seems to be everyone's go-to Moldovan film, but I didn't think very much of it myself. Suffice it to say that I definitely won't be using this one in the upcoming World Cup, though I don't know if I should be promoting my alternative choices in case some want it left a surprise.

It's only my second movie from Moldova, but so far I'm impressed by what I've seen. Moldovan actors at least seem to be miles ahead of their Romanian contemporaries.

Can't wait to see your recommendations in the World Cup!

The Unsaved (Igor Cobileanski, 2013, ) - 7/10 Moldova
Wish this coming of age movie was a little bit longer, felt rushed at times.

For whatever reason, this seems to be everyone's go-to Moldovan film, but I didn't think very much of it myself. Suffice it to say that I definitely won't be using this one in the upcoming World Cup, though I don't know if I should be promoting my alternative choices in case some want it left a surprise.

I agree and that's great, because The Boy Who Followed the Sun is going to wipe off the opponents.

If you both want, I can PM you my first two choices for Moldova in the World Cup.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus (2020) Croatia
2. Touch Me Not (2018) Romania
3. The Whistlers (2019) Romania

4. Paramnesia (2011) Cyprus



Awakening of the floor of his apartment with a bad case of amnesia, a young man relies on the handwritten notes on his body to piece things together in this low budget neo-noir. As one might expect, it all feels a lot like Memento at first. The middle stretch of the film becomes very routine too as he works out exactly what was going on far too quickly, and as we get lots of messy handheld chase scenes. There's a fun genre twist near the end though.

[Mario Gaborović]

If you both want, I can PM you my first two choices for Moldova in the World Cup.

No I'd rather have it all remain a mystery until December 1st.

[shugs]

Same as Mario.

[sol]

No probs, guys. Speaking of Moldova, I definitely won't be promoting this latest watch from me.

Spoiler

1. Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus (2020) Croatia
2. Touch Me Not (2018) Romania
3. The Whistlers (2019) Romania
4. Paramnesia (2011) Cyprus

5. Anishoara (2016) Moldova



This largely takes place in the countryside and mostly revolves around a teen girl who helps her grandfather and takes care of her younger brother. The narrative feels a bit unsubstantial: we see the teenager enjoying watermelon with friends and family, learning to drive a tractor, visiting the seaside for the first time and so on, all with very extensive dialogue-free sections where we just watch and observe and which make the movie feel long and drawn out.

[St. Gloede]

Re: Moldova discussion above. I have not seen a lot, but this would likely be my favourite:

Lyubit... / To Love (1968, Mikhail Kalik & Inna Tumanyan)



A poetic and beautiful contemplation on love from Moldova, mixing together real interviews and short stories to try to grasp at the essence of love and human connections. The interview subjects vary from students/youths to the elderly, those in love, those out of love, those declaring themselves past love and even a priest (censored on the original release). Meanwhile, the short story vary in length and form, from brief encounters, to sudden surprises to slightly longer character pieces. The ideas and moods blend together, and the free-wheeling rhythm inserts the film with a lot of powerful energy. Not to be missed!

[sol]

Re: Moldova discussion above. I have not seen a lot, but this would likely be my favourite:

Lyubit... / To Love (1968, Mikhail Kalik & Inna Tumanyan)

I've seen that one and prefer it to The Unsaved and Anishoara. I have two more Moldovan films up my sleeve though that are even better than To Love!

[Tngy]

2. Srpski Film (2010) 5/10 Serbia

Spoiler

1. Mamula (2014) 4/10 Serbia
2. Srpski Film (2010) 5/10 Serbia