Early Works

In an allegoric manner, Early Works recounts the story of a group of young people who took part in the student demonstrations in June 1968 in Belgrade. Three young men and a girl, Yugoslava, defy the petit-bourgeois routine of everyday life. Wishing to “change the world” and inspired by the writings of a young Karl Marx, they go to the country and to factories to "awaken people’s consciousness,” and to encourage them in their fight for emancipation and a life worth living. In the field, they come up against primitivism and squalor, but they also discover their own limits, faults and weaknesses. They are arrested. Frustrated that the revolution has not come about, the three young men decide to eliminate Yugoslava, who is the witness of their impotence. They shoot her, cover her with the party flag, burn her body, and thus a dark pillar of smoke going up into the sky is the only thing that remains of the intended revolution. The film starts with the word “Comedy” and ends with a quote by French revolutionary Saint Just: “Whoever only carries out half a revolution is digging his own grave!” This was the first Yugoslavian film to receive the highest award at a big international festival.

---

Script: Ζelimir Branko Vucicevic

Cinematography: Karpo Acimovic Godina

Editing: Karpo Acimovic Godina

Actors: Milja Vujanovic, Bogdan Tirnanic, Cedomir Radovic,Marko Nikolic, Slobodan Aligrudic

Production: Avala Film& Neoplanta film, Yugoslavia

Format: 35mm B&W

Production Country: Yugoslavia

Production Year: 1969

Duration: 87

Awards
Golden Bear – Berlin IFF 1969, Germany

Želimir Žilnik

Filmography

1967 A Newsreel on Village Youth, in Winter (short)
1971 Black Film (short)
1975 Inventory (short)
1994 Tito among the Serbs for the Second Time
2000 Fortress Europe
2007 Kenedi Is Getting Married
2013 Pirika on Film
2015 Logbook Serbistan