KAKO JE POČEO RAT NA MOM OTOKU

Sceneggiatura / Screenplay: Ivo Brešan, Vinko Brešan. Fotografia / Photography: Živko Zalar. Montaggio / Editing: Sandra Botica-Brešan. Musica / Music: Mate Matišić. Suono / Sound: Ruben Albahari, Josip Laca. Scenografia / Art Director: Ivica Trpčić. Costumi / Costume Designer: Vanda Ninić. Interpreti / Cast: Vlatko Dulić, Ljubomir Kerekeš, Ivan Brkić, Predrag Vušović, Božidar Orešković, Ivica Vidović, Matija Prskalo, Goran Navojec, Rene Bitorajac, Leon Lučev, Senka Bulić. Produzione / Produced by: Hrvatska radiotelevizija (HRT).

At the beginning of 1991, the Yugoslav National Army, which does not acknowledge Croatia’s independence, is still holding the military barracks throughout Croatia. Blaž Gajski travels to an island in order to retrieve his son from the barracks situated on this island. The atmosphere on the island is intense. The local government has besieged the barracks, and local people have organized a festival in front of it. With their singing and recitals, they plan to force major Aleksa and his soldiers to surrender. But, Aleksa has planted explosives in the barracks and threatens to blow up the island.
Debut feature for Brešan – written together with his father Ivo Brešan, the respected drama author and writer – despite the film was a made-for-television production, domestic audiences adored this film. It became the most viewed Croatian film of the 1990s. It won the Golden Arena for Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Matija Prskalo), and Best Costumes at Pula Film Festival in 1996, and the Grand Prize at the 1997 Cottbus Film Festival.

Vinko Brešan

Film director Vinko Brešan was born in Zagreb in 1964. He took a degree in film and television directing from the Academy of Drama Arts in Zagreb. Brešan is the author of two of the most viewed Croatian films of the 1990s, How the War Started on My Island (1996) and the satirical comedy Maršal (Marshal Tito’s Spirit,1999), for which he was awarded Best Director at the Karlovy Vary IFF on the same year. In 2004 he was appointed General Manager of Zagreb Film, the famous Croatian company for the production of animated films. The Trieste FF over the years has presented many of his films, the last was Svećenikova djeca (The Priest’s Children) in 2014.

filmografia scelta / selected filmography

1996 Kako je počeo rat na mom otoku (How the War Started on My Island); Premi / Awards: Pula FF – Miglior regia, Miglior attrice non protagonista, Migliori costumi / Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Costumes; Cottbus FF – Grand Prix 1999 Maršal (Marshal Tito’s Spirit); Premi / Awards: Karlovy Vary IFF – Miglior regia / Best director 2003 Svjedoci (Witnesses); Premi / Awards: Berlinale – Premio della Giuria ecumenica / Ecumenical Jury Award 2008 Nije kraj 2013 Svećenikova djeca (Padre vostro / The Priest’s Children) 2018 Koja je ovo država!