Maria Elena Ramirez

Emir Kusturica, a renowned director of European cinema, is one of the greatest figures in introducing Balkan culture to the world. Almost all of his films have won numerous awards at the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals. Born in Sarajevo on November 24, 1954, he is a Bosnian Muslim, although his family's origins were Orthodox Slavic. His father, Murat, was a communist like other Yugoslavs and worked for the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Intelligence Ministry. Emir was the only son, and his circle of friends was not approved of. Therefore, he was sent abroad to Prague for film training. After graduating from the Academy of Performing Arts in 1978, he began working on television programs in Yugoslavia. In 1978, he made the television films "Nejeste Dolaze" and "Guernica," and in 1979, "Bife Titanik." In 1981, he made "Do You Remember Dolly Bell?" which won an award at the Venice Film Festival. From 1981 to 1988, he taught at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo while also serving as artistic director at "Open Stage Obala." He preferred to make his films in his native language, but after achieving international success, he also started making English-language films. In 1985, he made "When Father Was Away on Business," a film with political undertones, which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His international success came in 1989 with "Time of the Gypsies," shot in his native language, which depicted Gypsy culture in a magical atmosphere. This film also earned him the Best Director Award at Cannes. Later, he went to America with cinematographer Vilko Filac and composer Goran Bregović and made "Arizona Dream" in 1993, starring Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway, and Lili Taylor. This was his first film in English. A fantastical portrayal of the interplay between dreams and reality, it won the Jury Special Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. The music was composed by Goran Bregović and Iggy Pop. In 1995, he made "Underground," one of his most famous films, which earned him a second Palme d'Or at Cannes. He also made a television series version of the same film, titled "Bila Jednom Jedna Zemlja." In 1998, he directed "Black Cat, White Cat," which won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. His films, particularly those about the lives of Gypsies, brought the atmosphere of the Balkans to world cinema. In 1988, he began teaching film courses at Columbia University. In addition to directing, he played bass guitar in the band "No Smoking Orchestra." His documentary-style footage from the band's tour resulted in the work "Super 8 Stories." After a break from filmmaking until 2004, Kusturica returned with "Life Is a Miracle," which won an award at the Cannes Film Festival and depicts various aspects of life in Bosnia in 1992.