Magnificent7 Belgrade/ Report 1
12. Festival Evropskog Dugometraznog Dokumentarnog Filma… the Serbian language version for 12th European Feature Documentary Film Festival that started last night with the screening of German Kral’s ”Our Last Tango” – click on www.filmkommentaren.dk and watch the photo to see how many found their way to the Sava Center. It was record breaking, more than 2000, the first time that the balcony was opened – for the screening of a documentary. I do not recall if I have ever seen so many people gathered for a documentary screening. And judging from the applause that followed the screening the audience appreciated the choice of the lovely, spectacular, elegantly edited story about the fantastic tango dancers Maria Nieves and Juan Carlos Copes. Cinema!
And a love story difficult to make, German Kral told us at the Q&A session after the screening. Maria and Juan Carlos did at one moment not want to take part, then they changed their minds, then he found out that she had more pages in the script than him, and then she got angry watching the final film because a scene she loved was not there… it ended well, the film is there, the two masters are treated with respect and tango is being danced. Playful and joyful.
Yes, Belgrade is a city of art, a city of culture. In between tv interviews together with Svetlana and Zoran Popovic, I had time to celebrate Saint Sava’s Day, an exceptional exhibition of Russian avantgarde art, a tango concert with local Aleksandar Nikolic on bandoneon accompanied by a string orchestra – and of course visits to both classical and modern restaurants downtown and along the river.
