Restitucija, ili, San i java stare garde

Milan Kovačević, 80+, in the role of Stevan Arsin, is about to buy records by his own 1960s jazz band, the “Montenegro Five”, in a second-hand record shop in Vienna when his mobile rings. A property valuer in Novi Sad tells him the Serbian state intends to return the house that was expropriated from his family during World War II. Restitution, goodwill: the kindly gentleman, his back heavily stooped, sets off at his very own pace with researcher Nina to his old homeland, consisting of lots of Habsburgian and even more of New Serbian markers – and only a little of former Yugoslavia. In this docu-fiction featuring an amateur cast oozing aged charm, Stevan follows the ingenious tracks laid out by Želimir Žilnik (“80+”, just like his hero, but as youthful, cheeky, funny and witty as ever) and travels through a post-socialist landscape encountering family, friends, old loves and new obstacles. In 1969, Žilnik won the Golden Bear for Early Works, the time has now come for his Late Works: while the bonding may be less radical (soft touch matters), his eye for the political and social at the margins remains sharp. (Barbara Wurm)

Želimir Žilnik is an artist and filmmaker born in 1942 in Novi Sad, Serbia. In his highly prolific career, Žilnik has made over 50 feature and short films, which have been exhibited internationally at film festivals including Berlin, Toronto, Rotterdam, Moscow, and Oberhausen. Since the late 1960s, his socially engaged films have earned him accolades, but he also faced censorship in the 1970s and 1990s for his unflinching criticism of the government apparatus. His power to observe and unleash compelling narratives out of the lives of ordinary people is the common thread throughout his work.

Director Želimir Žilnik. Screenplay Želimir Žilnik, Tanja Šljivar. Cinematography Jovan Milinov. Editing Vuk Vukmirović. Music Dragoljub Vagner. Sound Design Aleksandar Stojšin. Sound Aleksandar Stojsin. Production Design Ivana Jančić. Costumes Romana Knezevic. Make-Up Aleksandra Ivatovic. Casting Ognjen Petkovic. Animation Ziva Stanojevic. Producer Sarita Matijević Žilnik. Co-Producers Želimir Žilnik, Miha Černec. Production company Playground produkcija (Novi Sad, Serbia). With Milan Kovačević, Milivoj Kiždobranski, Vera Hrćan Ostojić, Mirjana Gardinovački, Lidija Stevanović, Katharina Gualtieri, Radoje Čupić, Nina Stamenković.

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Films: 1969: Rani radovi / Early Works (Ifb wettbewerb). 1976: Paradies. Eine imperialistische Tragikomödie / Paradise. An Imperialist Tragicomedy (Kurzfilm). 1980: Bolest i ozdravljenje Bude Brakusa / The Illness and Recovery of Buda Brakus. 1984: Druga generacija / The Second Generation. 1986: Lijepe žene prolaze kroz grad / Pretty Women Walking through the City. 1988: Bruklin-Gusinje / Brooklyn-Gusinje, Tako se kalio čelik / The Way Steel Was Tempered. 1994: Tito po drugi put među Srbima / Tito among the Serbs for the Second Time. 1995: Marble Ass (Ifb panorama). 2000: Trdnjava Evropa / Fortress Europe. 2007: Kenedi se ženi / Kenedi is Getting Married. 2009: Stara škola kapitalizma / The Old School of Capitalism. 2015: Destinacija_Serbistan / Logbook_Serbistan. 2018: Das schönste Land der Welt / The Most Beautiful Country in the World. 2025: Restitucija, ili, San i java stare garde / Eighty Plus.