The Irresistible Joy of Film: The Early Works of Karpo Godina

The late Sixties and early Seventies were years of prosperity and unexpected freedom in Yugoslavia, with exploration, growth, fabulous art, and incredible films (later dubbed The Black Wave) that opposed official socialist-realist production. In this brief period, Karpo Godina stood up as an exceptional director of photography, collaborating with Želimir Žilnik (whose Early Works Godina shot and edited) and Dušan Makavejev on their first features. At the same time, he explored the possibilities and limitations of cinema in his own films. The still, almost rigid camera, each frame a perfectly composed photograph that suddenly comes alive; the beauty of editing; and the use of music—each element creates an unabashed sense of overpowering joy. A hidden, titillating joy one feels when discovering any truly beautiful, exceptionally simple and profoundly deep work of art—and an irresistible urge to laugh a liberating laugh. These films, subversive and optimistic, slightly ironic and never cynical, celebrate life in socialist Yugoslavia while mocking the ideological rigidity of the ruling party. Shot all across Yugoslavia, they represent the best of Yugoslav cinema of the time.

This screening is part of the Ann Arbor Film Festival. For additional details and ticket information, visit https://www.aafilmfest.org/.