The story retraced by the film speaks about the events that fell upon our country in 1999, but from the prospective of a lucid patriot – interpreted by Lazar Ristovski – who tries to solve the war on his own. One might define it a black humor story. Still, it is, to a great extent an illustration of the average man from this part of the world seeking a way out when he is faced with a desperate situation. One way or the other. The hero of our story has sought HIS way.
Written and directed by: Miloš Radović
Director of Photography: Piotr Kukla,
Art Director: Aleksandar Sale Denić,
Editor: Petar Putniković
Sound: Bertrand Come,
Music: Zoran Simjanović
Costumes Designer: Boris Čakširan,
Make up: Delphine Coutourier le More,
Executive producers: Branislav Srdić, Guido Hesse
Producers: Michael Eckelt, Antoine de Clermont:Tonnerre, Erik Schut, Dirk Rijneke, Lazar Ristovski
Cast:
Lazar Ristovski, Branka Katić, Simon Lyndon, Olivera Marković, Bogdan Diklić, Predrag Ejdus, Nikola Pejaković, Jovana Milovanović, Tim Marshall, Ana Sofrenović, Slobodan-Boda Ninković, Goran Daničić, Ljubomir Bandović, Miodrag Popov, Biljana Srbljanović.
Press
Falling into Paradise
Those who love Emir Kusturica’s films will most definitely enjoy watching the film ”Falling into Paradise”. This whimsical war satire by Milos Radovic follows the efforts of a Serbian family that either shoot old rockets bought at the flea market into the sky or adores American parachutists. Absurd, inventive, and always full of madness.
Belgrade, 1999. The bombs of the UN Allies fall on the Serbian capital, while Slobodan Milosevic is officially declared a war criminal and sought with the help of a considerable bounty.
People in the city can’t help feeling annoyed with these new ”liberation powers”, especially hot-tempered Lubi (Lazar Ristovski), who gives vent to his anger by destroying a television set on a daily basis.
His younger sister Dusha (Branka Katic), on the other hand, sees things in a more positive way: she idealizes America and the American dream. There are posters of Marilyn Monroe and New York city skyline on the walls of her bedroom, while she paints a big heart on an oversized sheet. She dreams of an American parachutist landing on her roof and taking her to America. At night, she desperately sends love signals with her torch to the sky using the Morse code.
”More” Anyone who believes that Serbian director Milos Radovic is of a similar critical mind as his famous colleague and compatriot Emir Kusturica might be able to see the way this Balkan slapstick comedy develops further. It does not take too long before Lubi launches an old Russian rocket, the one that he bought at a flea market, from his roof terrace. With “Falling into Paradise”, Milos Radovic succeeds in creating a real satire par excellence, which is at the same time a loving and tender comedic interior view of a society in war and whose people rehearse survival under the daily bombing. Branka Katic, whom the audience may still remember from the films “Black Cat, White Cat” (1998) and Fatih Akin’s “In July” (2000), in a refreshing way portrays a woman caught between two fires, the one who knows how to mediate between stubborn Americans and indignant Serbs. With the excellent film music by Goran Bregovic and his Wedding and Funeral Band, their mighty trumpets, tubes, guitars and drums, ”Falling into Paradise’ becomes a very entertaining film experience that will make you laugh heartily. In the past, Milos Radovic particularly attracted international attention with his short film ”My Country” (1998). The recent history of his country is likely to offer some new themes to filmmakers. We should keep fingers crossed for more successful comedies like Falling into Paradise. ”Close”
David Siems
DIRECTOR
FILMOGRAPHY:
Miloš Radović
/director/screenwriter/
Milos Radovic is a Serbian scriptwriter and director. He has received around 60 international awards for his work (including the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival for a short feature film). He has written and directed three feature films Small World, Falling Into Paradise, Train Driver’s Secret, four TV series and five theatre plays (one of them was staged OFF Broadway).
- Fairy tales and songs from weddings and funerals 2006
- Falling in the Paradise 2004
- A Small World 2003
- Svastara (TV mini-series) 1994-1995
- Otvorena vrata / Open doors (TV series)
- Zagreb-Beograd preko Sarajeva (TV movie) 1991
- Balkan ekspres 2 (TV series) 1989
- Happy end 1988
- Balkan Express 2 1987
- Iznenadna i prerana smrt pukovnika K.K / The sudden and premature death of Colonel K.K. (short)
- 1987Vidim ti ladju na kraju puta (TV movie) 1987
- Brod plovi za Sangaj (TV movie) 1989