"Amarcord 1991-2001" - filmed response to a documentary or defamation of the author of "Storm over Krajina"?
Vranjican - I Had To Respond To Knezevic's Film
The author of "Amarcord 1991-2001", Pavle Vranjican, claims that Knezevic's "Storm over Krajina" is an insult to journalism. As evidence, he offers comparison of Knezevic's footage that was and wasn't broadcast, "educating" viewers in the process
by Zeljko GARMAZ
Vjesnik, Zagreb, Croatia, November 2, 2001, evening edition
"Storm over Krajina", Bozidar Knezevic's documentary film about crimes against Serbs committed after the police-military action "Storm" has apparently obtained a sequel. However, instead of showing some "other side of the story about war crimes", the work "Amarcord 1991-2001", by Pavle Vranjican, shown at the KIC hall in Zagreb, since the film was announced as "response to 'Storm over Krajina'", the results are quite different. "Amarcord 1991-2001" will be remembered as a warrant for arrest of Bozidar Knezevic!
"Story About Courage, Honor, and Suffering"
Vranjican, with whom we talked after the showing of the film, claims that he never even saw Knezevic's "Storm over Krajina", and that his goal was to show with "Amarcord 1991-2001" that Knezevic "had neither moral nor common sense right [sic] to dare produce a film about the Homeland War". "For me, Knezevic is merely a metaphor for strange behavior, which is obviously quickly forgotten here," Vranjican says, adding that after seeing Knezevic's photos in the newspapers and reading reactions to his documentary film, he had to react. "On behalf of the truth, totally defenseless, I simply had to jump in an empty pool and react," Vranjican concludes. He wrote in the credits of the film that "Amarcord 1991-2001" was a "story about courage, honor and suffering".
What is the synopsis of the film that seems destined, just like "Storm over Krajina" to provoke strong reactions in the public? Vranjican attempts to basically compare footage that Knezevic included in his reports with footage he decided to cut, using the footage produced by Knezevic early in the war when Knezevic worked for the Zagreb news bureau of "Yutel". In the process, the voiceover (provided by Vedran Mikota) draws attention to certain shots, and "educates" viewers about "the true intentions" of the then "Yutel's" journalist.
"Materials From Beljo's Institute
Knezevic is also accused of - also through voiceover and presentation of excluded footage - onesided presentation of wartime events. For example, it is claimed that Knezevic did not include extremist statements of Serbs against Croats, while he did include "peaceful" statements by Yugoslav people's Army soldiers. The film also uses footage filmed by late HTV cameramen Gordan Letelj and Zivko Krsticevic (the film is partly dedicated to them) and footage provided by the YPA (found in "Yutel's" archive) as well as the material obtained by a group of cameramen, which included Vranjican, on Banija. The film covers the period between "bloody Easter" in 1991 and October of 1991. Vranjican stresses that by then 14 journalists had died in Croatia.
According to Pavle Vranjican, "Knezevic cannot now pose as an advocate of human rights or a metaphor for democracy because that would be an insult for journalism". However, Vranjican in the film did not respond to certain questions, for example, how he obtained footage from "Yutel's" archive, since it has been known for a while that that footage ended up in one intelligence service. Besides, Bozidar Knezevic, with whom we talked over the phone, claims that the footage included in "Amarcord 1991-2001" has been unavailable for years. According to Knezevic, it is being stored in the "institute headed by Ante Beljo".
"Patriotic Nitpicking and Babble"
"In that context," Knezevic continues (he emphasizes that he hasn't seen "Amarcord 1991-2001") "it can only be guessed who the true producers of the movie are".
"After the broadcast of 'Storm over Krajina', lacking real arguments, it seems that my opponents had to resort to patriotic nitpicking and babble," Knezevic concludes.
[Officially,] Vranjican produced the film himself and offered it to the HTV and the OTV, but these TV stations haven't broadcast it yet. Because of huge interest the film was shown twice, instead of once, on Wednesday evening at the KIC hall in Zagreb. Among other, the film was seen by the producer of "Storm over Krajina", Nenad Puhovski, Vladimir Seks, Ante Beljo, Drago Krpina, Mladen Schwartz, and Predrag Raos.
"Amarcord 1991-2001" - filmed response to "Storm over Krajina"
Vranjican - I Had To Respond To Knezevic's Film
The author of "Amarcord 1991-2001", Pavle Vranjican, claims that Knezevic's "Storm over Krajina" is an insult to journalism. As evidence, he offers comparison of Knezevic's footage that was and wasn't broadcast, emphasizing that Knezevic spent the war on the side of Serb rebels
by Zeljko GARMAZ
Vjesnik, Zagreb, Croatia, November 2, 2001, morning edition
"Storm over Krajina", Bozidar Knezevic's documentary film about crimes against Serbs committed after the police-military action "Storm", which prompted strong reactions after being broadcast by the HTV, has apparently obtained a sequel in the work named "Amarcord 1991-2001" shown on Wednesday night at the KIC hall in Zagreb.
"Story About Courage, Honor, and Suffering"
Vranjican, with whom we talked after the showing of the film, claims that he never even saw Knezevic's "Storm over Krajina", and that his goal was to show with "Amarcord 1991-2001" that Knezevic "had neither moral nor common sense right [sic] to dare produce a film about the Homeland War". "For me, Knezevic is merely a metaphor for strange behavior, which is obviously quickly forgotten here," Vranjican says, adding that after seeing Knezevic's photos in the newspapers and reading reactions to his documentary film, he had to react. "On behalf of the truth, totally defenseless, I simply had to jump in an empty pool and react," Vranjican concludes. He wrote in the credits of the film that "Amarcord 1991-2001" was a "story about courage, honor and suffering".
What is the synopsis of the film that seems destined, just like "Storm over Krajina" to provoke strong reactions in the public? Vranjican attempts to basically compare footage that Knezevic included in his reports with footage he decided to cut, using the footage produced by Knezevic early in the war when Knezevic worked for the Zagreb news bureau of "Yutel". In the process, the voiceover (provided by Vedran Mikota) draws attention to certain shots, and "educates" viewers about "the true intentions" of the then "Yutel's" journalist, who spent the war with Serb rebels, justifying their uprising.
Knezevic is also accused of - also through voiceover and presentation of excluded footage - onesided presentation of wartime events. For example, it is claimed that Knezevic did not include extremist statements of Serbs against Croats, while he did include "peaceful" statements by Yugoslav People's Army soldiers and greater Serbian propaganda.
Vranjican About Knezevic
The film also uses footage filmed by late HTV cameramen Gordan Letelj and Zivko Krsticevic (the film is partly dedicated to them) and footage provided by the YPA (found in "Yutel's" archive) as well as the material obtained by a group of cameramen, which included Vranjican, on Banija. The film covers the period between "bloody Easter" in 1991 and October of 1991. Vranjican stresses that by then 14 journalists had died in Croatia.
According to Pavle Vranjican, "Knezevic cannot now pose as an advocate of human rights or a metaphor for democracy because that would be an insult for journalism", since he physically and ideologically sided with Serb rebels.
Did Not See
Bozidar Knezevic, with whom we talked over the phone, says that he hasn't seen "Amarcord 1991-2001", just as Vranjican hasn't seen Knezevic's film, but he nevertheless says that "it can only be guessed who the true producers of the movie are".
"After the broadcast of 'Storm over Krajina', lacking real arguments, it seems that my opponents had to resort to patriotic nitpicking and babble," Knezevic says.
[Officially,] Vranjican produced the film himself and offered it to the HTV and the OTV, but these TV stations haven't broadcast it yet. Because of huge interest the film was shown twice, instead of once, on Wednesday evening at the KIC hall in Zagreb. Among other, the film was seen by the producer of "Storm over Krajina", Nenad Puhovski, Vladimir Seks, Ante Beljo, Drago Krpina, Mladen Schwartz, Predrag Raos and many others.
Translated on May 21, 2002
