Manu Chao has spent the week-end in Küstendorf to record a song with the No Smoking Orchestra for Emir Kusturica's new film : Promise me this.

Gordan Mihić has recently declared in Blic (Serbian magazine) that he was currently working on the script of the Opera "Time of the Gypsies", scheduled for june-july 2007 in Paris, and directed by Emir Kusturica himself. He is also under discussion with Emir Kusturica to start the adaptation of the novel “The Autumn of the Patriarch” by Gabriel Garcia-Marques.

3 new trailers are available in Real Video on the pages of the films : Life is a miracle, The good thief, and The widow of Saint-Pierre.

The release of All the invisible children (short film compilation including Blue Gypsy) is scheduled on 18 October 2006 in Belgium, 23 november 2006 in the Netherlands, and february 2007 in France.

The ex-Yugoslavia page was reviewed to take into account the last events (separation of Serbia and Montenegro).

For the first time in DVD region 2 : two films of Emir Kusturica are released in Great-Brittain on 21 august : Do you remember Dolly Bell ? and When father was away on business. Both editions have English subtitles as well as an interview where Emir Kusturica speaks of each film.

A new page on Herceg Novi, this beautiful town of Montenegro where, in affiliation with UNICEF, Emir Kusturica transformed and old railway station into a cultural center. After the september opening there should be regularly masterclasses.

The Sarajevo Film Festival begins on 18 august. Nick Nolte, the main character of The good thief, Abell Ferrara and Dany Houston are expected, as well as the Boban Marković orkestar which will give a concert.

The 29th festival of Douarnenez will take place from 19 to 26 august 2006 in Brittany. This year, the festival has for theme the “Peoples of the Balkans”. Many classics of yugoslav cinema will be shown (Dušan Makavejev, Goran Paskaljević, Goran Marković, Zelimir Zilnik, Ademir Kenović, and of course Emir Kusturica).

Emir Kusturica has recently refused the presidency of the 2nd International Muslim Film Festival of Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia, which will take place from 10 to 17 september, due to his overscheduled agenda this year. Is that a good news for Zavet (Promise me this) ?

On 1st september in Italy will be screened Viaggio Segreto, by Roberto Andò, in which Emir Kusturica has a small role. The film is freely inspired by the homonym novel of Josephine Hart. For the moment, the film is not scheduled in other countries.

Finally, let me mention an article on my book in French newspaper Ouest-France of 20 july.

The shooting of Zavet (Promise me this) is going on very well. Emir is very happy with the young couple of actors. If the shooting ends in time (end 2006), it would be the first time … since When father was away on business !

At the European Film Festival in Flagey (Belgium), the Interpretation prize went to Emir Kusturica's favourite Serbian actress : Mirjana Karanović. The best film award went to two Hungarian films : Fresh Air by Agnes Kocsis, and Taxidermia by Györgi Pàlfi.

Some news on the site :