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1950s – today

Balkan Cinema

Films from the former Yugoslavia and its neighbours: the Black Wave and partisan epics, the comedies and tragedies of the wars of the 1990s, and the new generation of Balkan film-makers, with Romania, Greece, Bulgaria and Albania.

The Balkans produced very different cinemas that share a history of empire, war and rapid change. In Yugoslavia, the Black Wave of Dušan Makavejev, Aleksandar Petrović and Želimir Žilnik questioned the socialist state in the 1960s and 70s, while Emir Kusturica won Cannes twice with wild, bittersweet films. After the wars of the 1990s, directors in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo and Macedonia, including Danis Tanović, Jasmila Žbanić and Milčo Mančevski, made films about memory and survival, and Romanian directors Cristian Mungiu, Cristi Puiu and Corneliu Porumboiu led a bleak, precise new wave. Greece, Bulgaria and Albania added their own voices.

Where
Yugoslavia and its successor states, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and Greece
When
1950s to the present
Key figures
Emir Kusturica, Dušan Makavejev, Danis Tanović, Jasmila Žbanić, Cristian Mungiu, Cristi Puiu, Milčo Mančevski
Landmark films
WR: Mysteries of the Organism (1971), Underground (1995), No Man's Land (2001), 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
Legacy
Turned a history of conflict into a cinema of dark humour, realism and moral urgency

What to look for

  • Black humour and tragedy sitting side by side
  • War, memory and the pressure of the state
  • Direct, often rough realism, and in Romania very long takes

Famous Directors

Emir KusturicaSerbia (born in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia)Jasmila ŽbanićBosnia and HerzegovinaMilčo MančevskiNorth MacedoniaŽelimir ŽilnikSerbia (Yugoslavia)František ČápCzechoslovakia / YugoslaviaTheo AngelopoulosGreeceYorgos LanthimosGreeceDušan MakavejevYugoslavia (Serbia)Aleksandar PetrovićYugoslavia (Serbia)Goran PaskaljevićSerbia (Yugoslavia)Srdjan DragojevićSerbiaDanis TanovićBosnia and HerzegovinaMichael CacoyannisGreece (born in Cyprus)Veljko BulajićYugoslavia (Croatia)Kamen KalevBulgariaRalitza PetrovaBulgariaTeona Strugar MitevskaNorth MacedoniaDalibor MatanićCroatiaAthina Rachel TsangariGreeceCristian MungiuRomaniaRadu JudeRomaniaAlexander NanauRomaniaCălin Peter NetzerRomaniaAdina PintilieRomania
See all 45 directors
Lucian PintilieRomaniaCorneliu PorumboiuRomaniaCristi PuiuRomaniaRadu MunteanRomaniaCristian NemescuRomaniaŽivojin PavlovićYugoslavia (Serbia)Goran MarkovićSerbia (Yugoslavia)Srđan KaranovićSerbia (Yugoslavia)Lordan ZafranovićYugoslavia (Croatia)Ademir KenovićBosnia and HerzegovinaPantelis VoulgarisGreeceBinka ZhelyazkovaBulgariaIsa QosjaKosovo (born in Montenegro)Kujtim ÇashkuAlbaniaRangel VulchanovBulgariaBlerta BasholliKosovoMaja MilošSerbiaMetod PevecSloveniaJanez BurgerSloveniaFranci SlakSloveniaRadu MihăileanuRomania / France

Top 100 rated films

  1. Pretty Village, Pretty Flame 1996 · Srdjan Dragojević · IMDb 8.6
  2. The Elusive Summer of '68 1984 · Goran Paskaljević · IMDb 8.4
  3. We Are Not Angels 1992 · Srdjan Dragojević · IMDb 8.3
  4. Zora 2008 · Dalibor Matanić · IMDb 8.3
  5. Sky Hook 2000 · Srdjan Dragojević · IMDb 8.2
  6. Time of the Gypsies 1988 · Emir Kusturica · IMDb 8.1
  7. Variola Vera 1982 · Goran Marković · IMDb 8.1
  8. Petria's Wreath 1980 · Srđan Karanović · IMDb 8.1
  9. The Perfect Circle 1997 · Ademir Kenović · IMDb 8.1
  10. Collective 2019 · Alexander Nanau · IMDb 8.1
  11. Underground 1995 · Emir Kusturica · IMDb 8.0
  12. Black Cat, White Cat 1998 · Emir Kusturica · IMDb 8.0
  13. Quo Vadis, Aida? 2020 · Jasmila Žbanić · IMDb 8.0
  14. Toto and His Sisters 2014 · Alexander Nanau · IMDb 8.0
  15. The Wounds 1998 · Srdjan Dragojević · IMDb 8.0
  16. Stella 1955 · Michael Cacoyannis · IMDb 7.9
  17. Tito and Me 1992 · Goran Marković · IMDb 7.9
  18. Landscape in the Mist 1988 · Theo Angelopoulos · IMDb 7.9
  19. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days 2007 · Cristian Mungiu · IMDb 7.9
  20. No Man's Land 2001 · Danis Tanović · IMDb 7.9
  21. The Oak 1992 · Lucian Pintilie · IMDb 7.8
  22. The Travelling Players 1975 · Theo Angelopoulos · IMDb 7.8
  23. Eternity and a Day 1998 · Theo Angelopoulos · IMDb 7.8
  24. Before the Rain 1994 · Milčo Mančevski · IMDb 7.8
  25. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu 2005 · Cristi Puiu · IMDb 7.8
  26. Live and Become 2005 · Radu Mihăileanu · IMDb 7.8
  27. A Girl in Black 1956 · Michael Cacoyannis · IMDb 7.7
  28. Iphigenia 1977 · Michael Cacoyannis · IMDb 7.7
  29. When Father Was Away on Business 1985 · Emir Kusturica · IMDb 7.7
  30. Three 1965 · Aleksandar Petrović · IMDb 7.7
  31. Cabaret Balkan 1998 · Goran Paskaljević · IMDb 7.7
  32. Next Stop Paradise 1998 · Lucian Pintilie · IMDb 7.7
  33. Stone Years 1985 · Pantelis Voulgaris · IMDb 7.7
  34. Voyage to Cythera 1984 · Theo Angelopoulos · IMDb 7.7
  35. Poor Things 2023 · Yorgos Lanthimos · IMDb 7.7
  36. Medal of Honor 2009 · Călin Peter Netzer · IMDb 7.7
  37. California Dreamin' 2007 · Cristian Nemescu · IMDb 7.7
  38. Zorba the Greek 1964 · Michael Cacoyannis · IMDb 7.6
  39. I Even Met Happy Gypsies 1967 · Aleksandar Petrović · IMDb 7.6
  40. Too Late 1996 · Lucian Pintilie · IMDb 7.6
  41. The Ambush 1969 · Živojin Pavlović · IMDb 7.6
  42. Brides 2004 · Pantelis Voulgaris · IMDb 7.6
  43. Ulysses' Gaze 1995 · Theo Angelopoulos · IMDb 7.6
  44. Aferim! 2015 · Radu Jude · IMDb 7.6
  45. The Paper Will Be Blue 2006 · Radu Muntean · IMDb 7.6
  46. Train of Life 1998 · Radu Mihăileanu · IMDb 7.6
  47. Electra 1962 · Michael Cacoyannis · IMDb 7.5
  48. We Were Young 1961 · Binka Zhelyazkova · IMDb 7.5
  49. Do You Remember Dolly Bell? 1981 · Emir Kusturica · IMDb 7.5
  50. Life Is a Miracle 2004 · Emir Kusturica · IMDb 7.5
  51. Kenedi Goes Back Home 2003 · Želimir Žilnik · IMDb 7.5
  52. The Rats Woke Up 1967 · Živojin Pavlović · IMDb 7.5
  53. Occupation in 26 Pictures 1978 · Lordan Zafranović · IMDb 7.5
  54. The Suspended Step of the Stork 1991 · Theo Angelopoulos · IMDb 7.5
  55. The Favourite 2018 · Yorgos Lanthimos · IMDb 7.5
  56. Beyond the Hills 2012 · Cristian Mungiu · IMDb 7.5
  57. Everybody in Our Family 2012 · Radu Jude · IMDb 7.5
  58. Godless 2016 · Ralitza Petrova · IMDb 7.5
  59. Idle Running 1999 · Janez Burger · IMDb 7.5
  60. The Concert 2009 · Radu Mihăileanu · IMDb 7.5
  61. Something in Between 1983 · Srđan Karanović · IMDb 7.4
  62. The Hunters 1977 · Theo Angelopoulos · IMDb 7.4
  63. Alexander the Great 1980 · Theo Angelopoulos · IMDb 7.4
  64. Occident 2002 · Cristian Mungiu · IMDb 7.4
  65. Love Affair, or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator 1967 · Dušan Makavejev · IMDb 7.3
  66. Niki and Flo 2003 · Lucian Pintilie · IMDb 7.3
  67. The Tour 2008 · Goran Marković · IMDb 7.3
  68. Colonel Bunker 1996 · Kujtim Çashku · IMDb 7.3
  69. Graduation 2016 · Cristian Mungiu · IMDb 7.3
  70. I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians 2018 · Radu Jude · IMDb 7.3
  71. Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World 2023 · Radu Jude · IMDb 7.3
  72. Mothers 2010 · Milčo Mančevski · IMDb 7.3
  73. Child's Pose 2013 · Călin Peter Netzer · IMDb 7.3
  74. Parade 2011 · Srdjan Dragojević · IMDb 7.3
  75. God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya 2019 · Teona Strugar Mitevska · IMDb 7.3
  76. 12:08 East of Bucharest 2006 · Corneliu Porumboiu · IMDb 7.3
  77. Sieranevada 2016 · Cristi Puiu · IMDb 7.3
  78. The Last Word 1973 · Binka Zhelyazkova · IMDb 7.2
  79. Arizona Dream 1993 · Emir Kusturica · IMDb 7.2
  80. It Rains in My Village 1969 · Aleksandar Petrović · IMDb 7.2
  81. Kozara 1962 · Veljko Bulajić · IMDb 7.2
  82. An Unforgettable Summer 1994 · Lucian Pintilie · IMDb 7.2
  83. Evening Bells 1986 · Lordan Zafranović · IMDb 7.2
  84. Three Windows and a Hanging 2014 · Isa Qosja · IMDb 7.2
  85. The Beekeeper 1986 · Theo Angelopoulos · IMDb 7.2
  86. R.M.N. 2022 · Cristian Mungiu · IMDb 7.2
  87. Grbavica 2006 · Jasmila Žbanić · IMDb 7.2
  88. Willow 2019 · Milčo Mančevski · IMDb 7.2
  89. Tigers 2014 · Danis Tanović · IMDb 7.2
  90. Stuff and Dough 2001 · Cristi Puiu · IMDb 7.2
  91. Ruins 2004 · Janez Burger · IMDb 7.2
  92. The Source 2011 · Radu Mihăileanu · IMDb 7.2
  93. Man Is Not a Bird 1965 · Dušan Makavejev · IMDb 7.1
  94. Innocence Unprotected 1968 · Dušan Makavejev · IMDb 7.1
  95. The Magic Eye 2004 · Kujtim Çashku · IMDb 7.1
  96. Dogtooth 2009 · Yorgos Lanthimos · IMDb 7.1
  97. The Lobster 2015 · Yorgos Lanthimos · IMDb 7.1
  98. Eastern Plays 2009 · Kamen Kalev · IMDb 7.1
  99. Fine Dead Girls 2002 · Dalibor Matanić · IMDb 7.1
  100. Hive 2021 · Blerta Basholli · IMDb 7.1