THE PROFESSIONAL preceeded by (A)TORSION

WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER AT 9PM UGC SHAFTESBURY AVE SCREEN 1

Country Yugoslavia Running Time 120 mins Format 35mm Director/S'play Dusan Kovacevic Producers Dejan Vrazalic, Predrag Jakovljevic DoP Bozidar Nikolic Cast Bora Todorovic, Branislav Lecic, Natasa Ninkovic, Dragan Jovanovic, Josif Tatic Print Source VANS E velja_panajotovic@vans.org

From the unforgettable opening images of a nation uprising in the Belgrade anti-Milosevic October revolution in 2000, this is a classic movie in every sense.

Teja (Branislav Lecic) a university professor, bohemian writer, member of Belgrade's intellectual circles and a passionate opponent of the Milosevic regime, is manager of a big publishing house. One day a strange visitor comes uninvited to his office carrying a big suitcase. This is Luka, a former agent of Serbian Security Forces, now a taxi driver. We discover that Luka's mission over the last ten years has been to shadow Teja and observe even the most intimate of moments in his life. Step-by-step, the last ten years of the two men's lives are revealed. The Forrest Gump-style appearances of Teja in many of the country's memorable historic moments raises goosebumps.

This film works on many parallel levels. It is an irresistible comedy, social drama, chronicle of hidden war stories and a documentary on the dark and tragic years of a nation's struggle for freedom at the end of the 20th century. AK

Dusan Kovacevic graduated from the Belgrade Academy for Theatre, Film, Radio and TV. He is the author of numerous award-winning screen and stage plays. His past work includes Underground (1995), Tragedie Burlesque (1995), Balcan Spy (1983) and one of the greatest Yugoslavian comedies, Who Sings Over There (1980) which was honoured as the best Yugoslav film made in the period 1945-1995.

(A)TORSION [(A)TORZIJA] Slovenia | 13 mins | Dir Stefan Arsenijevic Prod Jurij Kosak S'play Abdulah Sidran DoP Vilko Filac P/S Studio Arkadena E arkadena@arkadena.sl

Setting off on a European tour from the besieged Sarejevo, an amateur choir must travel through a dangerous tunnel.