East of the West 2002 / Boomerang / Yugoslavia, Canada 2001
Serbia is no longer plagued by war and bombardments, and natural disasters also seemed to have let up. Belgrade is experiencing one of its first peaceful days but the heroes of this black comedy have begun it with the habits of “yesterday”. You’ll certainly find them appealing, even though they steal and change money on the black market, because all of them in their own way are looking for a niche in their somewhat “tedious” peacetime lives.
“After several wars, two earthquakes, one bombardment, a great flood and a small misunderstanding with the whole world, peace has finally conquered Serbia”, says the introductory commentary of this black comedy which unfolds during one of the first calm days in Belgrade. Its heroes, who have nothing to lose, still find themselves with “yesterday’s” habits. You’ll certainly find them likeable, even if they steal, change money on the black market, deal in drugs and weapons of all sorts, scheme and cheat on each other, because they also know how to love and swear eternal fidelity. In the words of Toni, the man with the video camera capturing the almost unbelievable events of those twenty-four hours: “The Balkans is a region synonymous with passion, vice, misunderstandings and the inability to gain self-control”. And so policemen and jail-birds, Communists and monarchists, mafia hoods and cloakroom attendants, film buffs, taxi-drivers, ageing femme fatales, under-aged mothers – all of them and each for him or herself have to become accustomed to a new, perhaps somewhat tedious life of peace. Their paths intertwine and come together in the Boomerang pub. Yesterday’s tragedy is today’s comedy.
97 min / Black & white, 35 mm
Director Dragan Marinković
/ Screenplay Svetislav Basara, Dragan Marinković, Filip David
/ Dir. of Photography Predrag Todorović
/ Music Antonije Pusić
/ Editor Marko Glusac
/ Producer Bora Bulajić, Lazar Ristovski, Dejan Vrazalić
/ Production Zillion, Film Link, Vans
/ Cast Lazar Ristovski, Paulina Manov, Nebojsa Glogovac, Dragan Jovanović, Milena Dravić, Petar Bozović
Dragan Marinković (b. 1950, Belgrade) is a graduate of the Academy of Dramatic Arts, Department of Film and Television Direction, and also a graduate of the Law Faculty where he specialised in international law. He began his film career in 1977 chiefly as a television documentarist and, largely during the 1980s was also working for Australian television. His series have included the titles Ex Libris (1985), Nikola Tesla (1990), and Some Strange Land (Neka čudna zemlja, 1988). He debuted in feature film in 1993 with Byzantine Blue (Vizantijsko plavo). The black comedy Boomerang is his second feature.
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