I've often thought that Emir Kusturica, the Serbian director of surreal comedies like Black Cat, White Cat (pictured), has a sufficiently twisted sense of humour to make a film about the Caucasus region, where the chaos of everyday life sometimes mirrors the Balkans. Now it seems that Kusturica is about to do just that - but it will be a documentary, and looks set to be extremely controversial. The Serbian media is reporting that the director has been engaged to make a film about the Russia-Georgia war from the South Ossetian point of view. Georgian film directors are already questioning whether the proposed movie will be 'honest' (if it's ever made, of course) - particularly because a campaigning Ossetian historian is involved in the project, which will reportedly be made with Moscow money. This won't be the first Russian-backed film about the recent conflict, however: the distinctly partisan War 08.08.08 The Art of Betrayal is already online, as the post-war media battle for moral supremacy continues.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Kusturica for Ossetia?
I've often thought that Emir Kusturica, the Serbian director of surreal comedies like Black Cat, White Cat (pictured), has a sufficiently twisted sense of humour to make a film about the Caucasus region, where the chaos of everyday life sometimes mirrors the Balkans. Now it seems that Kusturica is about to do just that - but it will be a documentary, and looks set to be extremely controversial. The Serbian media is reporting that the director has been engaged to make a film about the Russia-Georgia war from the South Ossetian point of view. Georgian film directors are already questioning whether the proposed movie will be 'honest' (if it's ever made, of course) - particularly because a campaigning Ossetian historian is involved in the project, which will reportedly be made with Moscow money. This won't be the first Russian-backed film about the recent conflict, however: the distinctly partisan War 08.08.08 The Art of Betrayal is already online, as the post-war media battle for moral supremacy continues.
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If being honest means mouthing inanities about how we're all Georgians now or pretending that Saakashvili attacked South Ossetia in self-defense, then no, Kusturica probably won't make a film that appeals to Georgian critics. He has a point of view, and on global politics it doesn't always dovetail with Randy Scheunemann's. But his work demonstrates that he is unafraid to offend people -- and if the August war was anything, it was offensive.
If Kusturica is the honest man he must learn the truth from both sides, but if he needs money (and no doubt that Russians will pay him a lot ) he will create yet another Russian propaganda film.
Actually the Yugoslavian theme is very close to Georgian events of 90es .
I'd sujest the movie by Tanovic - No Man's Land . And another movie "Powder Keg" .
They explain much about the conflicts and countries.
I hope this movie will not be shot will Russian money and Kusturica will be fair.
The problem with the Kusturica movie is 1. Produced with Russian money ( Who wit an IQ over 50 remotely think that Russians pay for an objective "documentary" movie??) Second. The assumption of any genocide is utterly infantile: Even Russian official figures say that no more thatn 163 civilians were killed in fights. Jugdging from what I have seen from the Kreml mobsters, there is no reason to expect anything worth calling documentary. Kusturica has let himself become a hostage, and if not he's completely without a clue of the real events that took place under and after the war. How will he deal with the ethnic cleansing of Georgians and still get payed by Moscow? Don't make me laugh..what a twit.
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