Underground (1995)

Director:

Emir Kusturica

Writers:

Dusan Kovacevic (novel)
Dusan Kovacevic (play)
(more)

Release Date:

20 June 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

The story starts from an underground manufacture of weapons of Belgrade, during the WWII, and evolves into fairly surreal situations...

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title | Humor | Europe | Basement | Talk To Camera

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Miki Manojlovic	...	Marko
Lazar Ristovski	...	Crni
Mirjana Jokovic	...	Natalija
Slavko Stimac	...	Ivan
Ernst Stötzner	...	Franz
Srdjan Todorovic	...	Jovan
Mirjana Karanovic	...	Vera
Milena Pavlovic	...	Jelena
Danilo 'Bata' Stojkovic	...	Deda (as Bata Stojkovic)
Bora Todorovic	...	Golub
Davor Dujmovic	...	Bata
Dr. Nele Karajlic	...	Falling Gypsy
Branislav Lecic	...	Mustafa
Dragan Nikolic	...	Film Director
Erol Kadic	...	Janez
Predrag Zagorac	...	Tomislav
Hark Bohm	...	Dr. Strasse
Petar Kralj	...	Dr. Mirkovic
Emir Kusturica	...	Arms dealer
Pierre Spengler	...	Russian Driver
Branko Cvejic	...	Captain
Josif Tatic	...	Police Inspector
Zdena Hurtocakova	...	Fat Lady
Tanja Kecman	...	Script
Albena Stavreva	...	Girl from the Tunnel
Elizabeta Djorevska	...	Woman Prompter
Péter Mountain	...	Officer
Mirsad Tuka	...	Investigator
Batica Nikalic	...	Investigator
Desa Biogradlija	...	Lady in the Theatre Box
Zoran Miljkovic	...	Partisan
Rick Dano	...	Partisan
Radovan Markovic	...	Commando
Miodrag Dordevic	...	Assistant Director
Ljiljana Jovanovic	...	Prostitute
Danica Zdravic	...	Boat Dancer
Stojan Sotirov	...	Driver in Tunnel
Aleksandra Andjelkovic	...	Make up artist (making movie about popara crni)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Zeljko Mitrovic	...	Pavle
Anja Popovic	...	Mustafa's Girl
Dragoljub Vojnov	...	The Psychiatrist (scenes deleted)
Hafez al-Assad	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Yasser Arafat	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Leonid Brezhnev	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Nicolae Ceausescu	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Andrei Gromyko	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
King Hussein	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
King Olav V	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Predrag Milinkovic	...	Mister I (uncredited)
Dragoljub-Gula Milosavljevic	...	Mister II (uncredited)
Walter Mondale	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Prince Philip	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Helmut Schmidt	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ed Schreyer	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Margaret Thatcher	...	Herself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Josip Broz Tito	...	Himself (reviews troops, dances, funeral) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Kurt Waldheim	...	Himself (at funeral of Tito) (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Emir Kusturica

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dusan Kovacevic		novel "Bila jednom jedna zemlja"
Dusan Kovacevic		play "Prolece u januaru"
Dusan Kovacevic		screenplay
Emir Kusturica		play
Emir Kusturica		screenplay

Produced by
Karl Baumgartner	....	co-producer
Maksa Catovic	....	co-producer
Pierre Spengler	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Goran Bregovic

Cinematography by
Vilko Filac

Film Editing by
Branka Ceperac

Casting by
Jessica Horáthová

Production Design by
Miljen Kreka Kljakovic

Art Direction by
Branimir Babic
Vlastimir Gavrik
Vladislav Lasic
Martin Martinec

Set Decoration by
Aleksandar Denic

Costume Design by
Nebojsa Lipanovic

Makeup Department
Tatjana Dulovic	....	special makeup effects artist (as Tatjana Nikolic)
Josef Lojik	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Miodrag Stevanovic	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Zoran Andric	....	assistant director
Slobodan Dedeic	....	assistant director (as Boban Dedejic)
Miroslav Mandic	....	assistant director
Jirí Ostry	....	assistant director
Alice Ronovska	....	assistant director

Art Department
Andrej Kostic	....	stand-by painter
Radovan Markovic	....	property master

Sound Department
Eric Chevallier	....	sound recordist
François Groult	....	sound mixer
Marton Jankov-Tomica	....	boom operator
Marko Rodic	....	sound
Bruno Tarrière	....	sound mixer
Svetolik Zajc	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Ladislav Lahoda	....	special effects
Roman Tudjarov	....	special effects supervisor
Jirí Vater	....	special effects technician
Petar Zivkovic	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Paddy Eason	....	digital effects designer
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: CFC
Alison O'Brien	....	visual effects producer
Dominic Parker	....	digital effects designer
Kevin Phelan	....	scanning and recording producer: CFC
Mark Nelmes	....	digital visual effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Pavel Cajzl	....	stunts
Christina Fong	....	stunts
Jindrich Klaus	....	stunts
Ladislav Lahoda	....	stunt coordinator
Dimo Liptkovsky	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Jan Carda	....	focus puller: Prague
Danilo Dudic	....	grip
Andreas Gockel	....	clapper loader: Berlin
Sönke Hansen	....	director of photography: second unit
Veljko Pavlovic	....	director of photography: second unit
Petar Popovic	....	assistant camera
Dusan Joksimovic	....	cinematographer: Belgrade second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vera Mirová	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Olivier Fontenay	....	color grader
Andjela Ilic	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Srdjan Kurpjel	....	music arranger

Other crew
Jim Hajicosta	....	production accountant
Jiri Krejcir	....	location manager
Biljana Mirkovic	....	script supervisor
Eva Nietschová	....	production accountant: Czech Republic
Daniela Romano	....	production representative
Daniela Romano	....	representative: CIBY 2000

Production Companies

• CiBy 2000
• Komuna
• Pandora

Distributors

• Komuna (1995) (Yugoslavia) (all media)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Artificial Eye
• Artistas Argentinos Asociados (AAA) (Argentina)
• CiBy 2000
• Cinemussy (Spain)
• EDKO Film (Hong Kong)
• Mundial Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
• New Yorker Films (1996) (USA) (subtitled)
• Raro Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Spentzos Films (1995) (Greece) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Computer Film Company, The (CFC) (digital compositing)

Other Companies

• Komuna Film  service production company

Also Known As:

Bila jednom jedna zemlja (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia: Serbian title) (subtitle)
Il était une fois un pays (France)
Once Upon a Time There Was a Country

Runtime:

170 min | USA:167 min

Country:

France | Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | Germany | Hungary

Language:

English | Serbo-Croatian | German | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Ab Barrandov, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

CiBy 2000

Trivia:

In 1996, members of the Yugoslavian Board of the Academy of Film Art and Science (AFUN) voted this film the third best Serbian movie made in 1947-1995 period.

Movie Connections:

Spin off "Bila jednom jedna zemlja" (1995)

For Eternity

Underground is The Film, my favorite... And nobody hasn't written any greeting comments in 2005. So, I'm happy to be the first and I wish the best year 2005 to all the Underground's fans. If you never had this chance to see the long version (5 hours) of the film, give your priority, this year, to watch it. After this, the Palme d'Or version will feel you so short!!! If you live in Paris, I can help you to discover the complete Chef d'Oeuvre.

Therefore, I understand that the film could be criticized on the political depths. But it is so easy to make movies without any involvement. Kusturica worked for 3 years on the film and involved himself on the content. But the film treatment is not only about Balkans war, but mainly about human ferocity and betrayment. Speaking Cinema, there is no film controlling so well aestheticism, scenario, actors, music and creativity. Emir did it and I am sorry that some arrogant journalists killed the film, getting it off the Cinema theaters without the popular success that Underground deserved.