The DVD of Underground is finally released… in Belgium ! It is Cinéart which is at the origin of this edition. The disc contains the “short” version of 170 mn with the Serbo-croatian versions into 2.0 and 5.1 as well as the French version. The subtitles are in French or Dutch. But it is in the bonus where is the good surprise, with a very interesting interview of Emir Kusturica “7 years after”, a making-of, interviews of the actors, as well as chronological slides recalling the history of Yugoslavia

Inauguration of the partnership with the Centre Culturel de Serbie et Monténégro in Paris, with the exhibition SACRES POFANES starting April 3 to May 5, 2003. The program of the events of April 2003 will be published soon.

In spite of the recent tragic events in Serbia & Montenegro, and after the days of national mourning, shooting re-started. Emir Kusturica shoots the last scenes of his new film the life is a miracle !. But to be sure of still being able all to change, Emir films several different ends : he'll choose at the final cut…

Emir Kusturica will be the next president of the jury of the short films and Cinéfondation of the 56th Festival of Cannes. He will follow thus Martin Scorsese, president in 2002. He will give the Palm of the best short film.

Addition in the books of Titanic by Ivo Andrić, origin of one of the first short films of Emir.

Addition of critics in the pages of films

Work in progress in the underground : two new stations will open soon : one on the photographers in Emir's films (Vilko Filać, Thierry Arbogast, Michel Amathieu), and one on the cities of ex-Yugoslavia.

When the new parliamentary room must elect its president, the change of identity of Serbia and Montenegro (ex-Yugoslavia) pose unsuspected problems… read further.

Addition of the biography of Gordan Mihić in the page of the Yugoslav writers. This prolix author provided to Emir Kusturica the scenarii of Time of the Gypsies, Black Cat, White Cat and Hungry Heart.

New information in the Gypsies page.

After a new pause of a few weeks, shooting goes on February 28. As Emir decided to film chronologically, only the last scenes remain. Thus precisely the images that will remain in the memory of the spectators. More than ever, Emir reinvents the history, rewrites the end…

A new interview “stolen” on the filming stage, by serbian newspaper “Politika”, and translated in French.

It snows in Belgrade. The filming of the Life is a miracle is stopped until February 28. Approximately a month of scenes remain to be filmed. Shooting will have lasted one year…

With the reedition of the works of Charles Chaplin in DVD by MK2, Emir Kusturica recorded an audio commentary for the film Circus, and will appear in the DVD bonus. Release in 2003. One knew the admiration which Emir Kusturica carries for Charles Chaplin since the scene in the Time of the Gypsies. Emir pays here a new homage to him.

The release of Underground in DVD comes : it is in Belgium that the film will undoubtedly be first available. Emir already recorded a commentary for this edition. TF1 Video which owns the rights for France has still announced nothing.

The title today would be Life is a miracle (with an exclamation point). Nothing being ever sure with Emir Kusturica, we will continue to call the film Hungry Heart on this site, until the film is definitively baptized.

Emir continues to film, probably until the end of March. The film will thus not be presented in Cannes. It snows much in this moment, and Emir changes practically everyday the scenario …

Marcel Hartmann, the author of the photographs published in Studio Magazine is very present on the set. He accumulated many pictures and many stories or anecdotes. He plans to release a book on the “making-of”, accompanied by an exhibition in Paris.

New color pictures of Hungry Heart

Here it is : the new version of the site is on line. Do not hesitate to send me a mail if you find any error, broken bonds, remarks, criticisms, etc. Thank you!

Marcel Hartmann took these nice pictures on the set of Hungry Heart. We learn in Studio magazine that the title could be Life is a miracle (but that is till not sure). Emir describes the war through a true story. Banquets, absurdity, a bride who flies, music… Emir : ”What I hate in modern cinema, is when one says : “it is so real !”. For me, the films have nothing to do with what is real. They are only artifice. But we must make them organic and structured to touch the audience, with emotion first, spirit then.”

The production company of Emir Kusturica cofinanced the first film of Dušan Milić (which had been assistant director for Tito and Me). The casting shows great names of Yugoslav cinema (thus from Kusturica's tribe) : Branka Katić (the girl in Black Cat, White Cat), Srđan Todorović (the gangster of Black Cat, White Cat) and Mirjana Karanović (who was already seen in Underground and When father was away on business). The film should be released in 2003 and be presented at the Festival of Berlin. Le film is called : Strawberries at the supermarket (Jagoda u supermarketu), and the No Smoking Orchestra will compose the score, including a version of Joe Strummer's Lost in the supermarket.

This site has now a new address : http://www.kustu.com

A complete rebuild is planned for the end of January. New pages, new design, new pictures, new navigation… and later : an english version.

Watch the press stores : in the next edition of the magazine Studio (to be released at the end of January 2003), an illustrated report on the filming of Hungry Heart.

Filming is longer than foreseen, but should last until mid-february 2003.

Emir still believes he can present it at Cannes Festival.