DAYS OF CROATIAN FILM ’97

Yet another film festival without film industry

CROATIAN FESTIVAL OF SHORT FILMS, ZAGREB, 1997

Reviewing the sixth Croatian film festival — Croatian festival of short films, one can mention several interesting and two excellent documentary film (Mirila by Vlado Zrnić and Pogačica, ročelica, mendulica — Pag lace-making techniques by Vlatka Vorkapić). Several really good music videos were also screened at the Festival (Stampedo by Jasna Zastavniković, Tama/Darkness by Emil Matešić, Mene ne zanima/I’m not interested by Radislav Jovanov Gonzo), as well as few nice animated films, while the experimental films and videos production upheld its usual high standard (especially with Sonata za Ernesta G./Sonata for Ernest G. by Milan Bukovac and Tomislav Gotovac by Tomislav Gotovac).

However, documentaries are generally produced by HRT (Croatian radio-television), the national television network, and too often suffer by its restrains. Musical videos are only periferally linked to the film production, while the experimentalists are too isolated from the world of dominant production to let anyione outside the experimentalist circle take credit for their success. It is in the wasteland of feature film production that the crisis of Croatian film industry is most clearly seen, but the solution should not be left to talents, enthusiasts and film buffs, because they are obviously uncapable of supporting the film industry. The government officials should therefore decide whether they find our film industry worth restorin and, if they do, what can be done about it.

Nikica Gilić