Emir Kusturica

Directing

Emir Kusturica

Born November 24, 1954 · Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (age 71)

Emir Nemanja Kusturica is a Serbian filmmaker, actor and musician, recognized for several internationally acclaimed feature films. He is a two-time winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes (for When Father Was Away on Business and Underground), as well as being a Commander of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Since the mid-2000s, Kusturica's primary residence is Drvengrad, a village in the Mok…

Known For

Black Cat, White CatBlack Cat, White Cat · 1998
Black Cat, White Cat
7.71998
MovieComedyRomance
A small-time hustler makes a deal with a notorious gangster to whom he owes money: marry his teenage son to the latter's daughter. However, the young lovers are not as agreeable.
When Father Was Away on BusinessWhen Father Was Away on Business · 1985
When Father Was Away on Business
7.31985
MovieDrama
In a post-WWII Yugoslavia still under Stalinist rule in the 1950s, six-year-old Malik is oblivious as to why his father, Mehmed, has suddenly disappeared. In truth, Mehmed has been sent to a labor camp as punishment for acts of sexual indiscretion involving young girls. Malik's mother, Senija, however, has no answers, and the family must cope in the father's absence.
Balkan LineBalkan Line · 2019
Balkan Line
7.42019
MovieDramaAction
After the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, the Yugoslav army pulls out of Kosovo region, leaving Serbian people at the mercy of the Albanian UCK. A small band of soldiers must take over the Slatina airport, and hold it until the Russian peacekeepers arrive.
Arizona DreamArizona Dream · 1993
Arizona Dream
7.11993
MovieFantasyComedy
Rebellious young Axel Blackmar gets caught up into the family car business when his cousin, Paul, coaxes him to come to Arizona to attend the wedding of their Uncle Leo. As Axel makes the decision to try selling Cadillacs with his family, he meets an eccentric woman named Elaine and her equally quirky stepdaughter, Grace. Their lives become inextricably intertwined through romance, dreams – and death.
Promise Me ThisPromise Me This · 2007
Promise Me This
6.52007
MovieRomanceComedy
An old man named Zivojin Markovic, living in a remote village prays for his grandson Cane to go to the city, sell his cow and bring back a wife. In the city he is supposed to meet up with his grandfather's stepbrother, but this man is dead. Instead, he meets this man's two grandsons, two good-natured brothers who are nevertheless small-time criminals and experts in demolition. Cane soon clicks with these men, and also falls in love with a schoolgirl (Jasna), who he wants to marry as part of his testament with his grandfather. He gets involved in this girl's family affairs, rescuing both her and her mother from prostitution and gangsters headed by a man called Bajo, and the new group of people return to the small village in time to celebrate Zivojin's wedding to his neighbor, despite the gangsters' best efforts to stop the celebration, which results in a double wedding.
Buffet TitanicBuffet Titanic · 1979
Buffet Titanic
5.91979
MovieDramaTV Movie
Based on a short story of Ivo Andrić, famous Yugoslav Nobel Prize winner, this film is set in Sarajevo during WW2. Mento is a humble, poor Jew who runs a caffe. Stjepan is a man of unknown background, with no social or psychological dimension, who joined Nazis to leave any sort of trace behind himself.
UndergroundUnderground · 1995
Underground
7.71995
MovieComedyDrama
Black marketeers Marko and Blacky manufacture and sell weapons to the Communist resistance in WWII Belgrade, living the good life along the way. Marko's surreal duplicity propels him up the ranks of the Communist Party, and he eventually abandons Blacky and steals his girlfriend. After a lengthy stay in a below-ground shelter, the couple reemerges during the Yugoslav Civil War of the 1990s as Marko sees the opportunity to exploit the situation.
Time of the GypsiesTime of the Gypsies · 1988
Time of the Gypsies
7.61988
MovieDramaCrime
Perhan is a gypsy teenager with telekinetic powers. A wealthy gypsy, Ahmed, visits the village and promises to get Perhan's sister the medical treatment she needs if they join him to Italy. Perhan soon discovers that Ahmed's business activities are in fact quite shady and he is soon lured into the elder's corrupt surroundings.

Movies

Black Cat, White CatBlack Cat, White Cat · 1998
Black Cat, White Cat
7.71998
MovieComedyRomance
A small-time hustler makes a deal with a notorious gangster to whom he owes money: marry his teenage son to the latter's daughter. However, the young lovers are not as agreeable.
When Father Was Away on BusinessWhen Father Was Away on Business · 1985
When Father Was Away on Business
7.31985
MovieDrama
In a post-WWII Yugoslavia still under Stalinist rule in the 1950s, six-year-old Malik is oblivious as to why his father, Mehmed, has suddenly disappeared. In truth, Mehmed has been sent to a labor camp as punishment for acts of sexual indiscretion involving young girls. Malik's mother, Senija, however, has no answers, and the family must cope in the father's absence.
Balkan LineBalkan Line · 2019
Balkan Line
7.42019
MovieDramaAction
After the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, the Yugoslav army pulls out of Kosovo region, leaving Serbian people at the mercy of the Albanian UCK. A small band of soldiers must take over the Slatina airport, and hold it until the Russian peacekeepers arrive.
Arizona DreamArizona Dream · 1993
Arizona Dream
7.11993
MovieFantasyComedy
Rebellious young Axel Blackmar gets caught up into the family car business when his cousin, Paul, coaxes him to come to Arizona to attend the wedding of their Uncle Leo. As Axel makes the decision to try selling Cadillacs with his family, he meets an eccentric woman named Elaine and her equally quirky stepdaughter, Grace. Their lives become inextricably intertwined through romance, dreams – and death.
Promise Me ThisPromise Me This · 2007
Promise Me This
6.52007
MovieRomanceComedy
An old man named Zivojin Markovic, living in a remote village prays for his grandson Cane to go to the city, sell his cow and bring back a wife. In the city he is supposed to meet up with his grandfather's stepbrother, but this man is dead. Instead, he meets this man's two grandsons, two good-natured brothers who are nevertheless small-time criminals and experts in demolition. Cane soon clicks with these men, and also falls in love with a schoolgirl (Jasna), who he wants to marry as part of his testament with his grandfather. He gets involved in this girl's family affairs, rescuing both her and her mother from prostitution and gangsters headed by a man called Bajo, and the new group of people return to the small village in time to celebrate Zivojin's wedding to his neighbor, despite the gangsters' best efforts to stop the celebration, which results in a double wedding.
Buffet TitanicBuffet Titanic · 1979
Buffet Titanic
5.91979
MovieDramaTV Movie
Based on a short story of Ivo Andrić, famous Yugoslav Nobel Prize winner, this film is set in Sarajevo during WW2. Mento is a humble, poor Jew who runs a caffe. Stjepan is a man of unknown background, with no social or psychological dimension, who joined Nazis to leave any sort of trace behind himself.
UndergroundUnderground · 1995
Underground
7.71995
MovieComedyDrama
Black marketeers Marko and Blacky manufacture and sell weapons to the Communist resistance in WWII Belgrade, living the good life along the way. Marko's surreal duplicity propels him up the ranks of the Communist Party, and he eventually abandons Blacky and steals his girlfriend. After a lengthy stay in a below-ground shelter, the couple reemerges during the Yugoslav Civil War of the 1990s as Marko sees the opportunity to exploit the situation.
Time of the GypsiesTime of the Gypsies · 1988
Time of the Gypsies
7.61988
MovieDramaCrime
Perhan is a gypsy teenager with telekinetic powers. A wealthy gypsy, Ahmed, visits the village and promises to get Perhan's sister the medical treatment she needs if they join him to Italy. Perhan soon discovers that Ahmed's business activities are in fact quite shady and he is soon lured into the elder's corrupt surroundings.
To Make a Comedy Is No FunTo Make a Comedy Is No Fun · 2016
To Make a Comedy Is No Fun
5.82016
MovieDocumentary
Documentary feature about Czech director Jiří Menzel, featuring Menzel himself as well as Miloš Forman, Emir Kusturica, István Szabó and others.
FarewellFarewell · 2009
Farewell
6.52009
MovieThrillerDrama
An intricate thriller about an ordinary man thrust into the biggest theft of Soviet information of the Cold War. Right after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. A French businessman based in Moscow, Pierre Froment, makes an unlikely connection with Grigoriev, a senior KGB officer disenchanted with what the Communist ideal has become under Brezhnev. Grigoriev begins passing Froment highly sensitive information about the Soviet spy network in the US.
7 Days in Havana7 Days in Havana · 2012
7 Days in Havana
5.62012
MovieDrama
A lesbian, an aspiring actor, an aspiring singer, a low-class marriage, a neighborhood community and 2 renowned directors have memorable less-than-24-hour-long experiences while living in/visiting the capital of Cuba.
The Good ThiefThe Good Thief · 2003
The Good Thief
6.12003
MovieCrimeDrama
An aging gambler on a losing streak attempts to rob a casino in Monte Carlo. But someone's already tipped off the cops before he even makes a move.
The Magpie StrategyThe Magpie Strategy · 1987
The Magpie Strategy
8.01987
MovieDrama
Adventures of an idealistic old Communist whose treasured watch is stolen by a magpie but who overcomes all difficulties.
The Brides Are ComingThe Brides Are Coming · 1978
The Brides Are Coming
5.31978
MovieDramaTV Movie
Jelena, a woman of character, rules an inn in an isolated place in the countryside. She lives with her two sons: Martin and Jakov. Martin has been married to Kata for 5 years, but never succeeded in having a child. Jakov sleeps with his mother in postures suggesting incest, but he is in love with Kata. Each night he hears her cries, the sexual acts with her husband inevitably finish with violence. One day, Jakov can't stand anymore, he leaves, and Kata is found dead the next morning. Two characters arrive then : an old man, who turns to be the father of Martin ; he settles and declares being returned to die here. And a girl, that Martin will keep as his new wife.
The WhirlThe Whirl · 2012
The Whirl
7.62012
MovieActionDrama
Three childhood friends from Belgrade, Serbia, whose destinies change as they become adults during the wartime 1990s.
TropiAbbasTropiAbbas · 2005
TropiAbbas
10.02005
MovieComedy
An Iranian filmmaker, a female taxi driver and a class a about cinema.
The Legend of the Palme d'OrThe Legend of the Palme d'Or · 2015
The Legend of the Palme d'Or
6.02015
MovieDocumentary
From Martin Scorsese to Jane Campion, from Emir Kusturica to Quentin Tarantino, some of the greatest recipients of this trophy recall special moments relating to the award ceremony which closes the Cannes Film Festival. This film brings to light moving and personal stories, as surprising as they are varied, which all contribute to further enhancing the legend of the Palme d’Or.
Do You Remember Dolly Bell?Do You Remember Dolly Bell? · 1981
Do You Remember Dolly Bell?
7.41981
MovieComedyDrama
Growing up in 1960s Sarajevo, a young man comes of age under the shadow of his good, but ailing father, but is attracted by the world of small-time criminals. He's hired to hide a young prostitute, whom he falls in love with.
Walter Defends SarajevoWalter Defends Sarajevo · 1972
Walter Defends Sarajevo
7.01972
MovieThrillerWar
Sarajevo 1944. The German armies desperately need fuel in the retreat. Walter, the enigmatic and charismatic leader of the resistance movement, can endanger their supplies. The Germans are taking a cunning plan to remove that obstacle.
Shooting Days: Emir Kusturica Directs UndergroundShooting Days: Emir Kusturica Directs Underground · 1996
Shooting Days: Emir Kusturica Directs Underground
6.51996
MovieDocumentary
While his country Yugoslavia gradually turns into a battlefield, director Emir Kusturica guides his film crew to overcome this reality. A new world, which carries the signs of the old, comes to life.
Le court des grandsLe court des grands · 2005
Le court des grands
8.02005
Movie
A program of debut shorts from some of cinema's greatest diectors. Curated by Emir Kusturica and Stephen Frears, featured auteurs include George Lucas' "1.42.08 to Qualify" (1966), Ridley Scott's "A Boy and a Bicycle" (1965), Robert Zemeckis' "The Lift" (1972), Tony Scott's "One of the Missing" (1969), Kusturica's "Guernica" (1978), Luc Besson's "L'avant dernier" (1981), Lars von Trier's "Nocturne" (1980), Terry Gilliam's "Storytime" (1968), Paul Verhoeven's "A Lizzard Too Much" (1960), Roman Polanski's "Le gros et le maigre" (1960), Jane Campion's "Peel" (1982), and Frears' "The Burning" (1967).
Life Is a MiracleLife Is a Miracle · 2004
Life Is a Miracle
7.22004
MovieRomanceDrama
Set during the Bosnian war in the early 1990s, Luka is a mild-mannered railway clerk whose life is turned upside down, not just by the outbreak of the war, but when his wife runs off with a local musician. Then Luka's son is conscripted and eventually captured in the fighting. To recover his son, Luka is commanded to guard a pretty young Muslim nurse who will be used in a hostage swapping operation.
All the Invisible ChildrenAll the Invisible Children · 2006
All the Invisible Children
7.02006
MovieDrama
Seven short films - each one focused on the plight of a different child protagonist.
The Widow of Saint-PierreThe Widow of Saint-Pierre · 2000
The Widow of Saint-Pierre
6.62000
MovieRomanceDrama
In 1850, on the isolated French island of Saint-Pierre, a murder shocks the natives. Two fishermen are arrested. One of them, Louis Ollivier, dies in custody. The other, Neel Auguste, is sentenced to death by the guillotine. The island is so small that it has neither a guillotine nor an executioner. While those are sent for Auguste is placed under the supervision of an army Captain.

TV Shows

Vivement dimancheVivement dimanche · 1998
Vivement dimanche
3.61998
Series
The Guldbagge AwardsThe Guldbagge Awards · 1981
The Guldbagge Awards
5.51981
Series
The Guldbagge Awards is an official and annual Swedish film awards ceremony honoring achievements in the Swedish film industry. Winners are awarded a statuette depicting a rose chafer, better known by the name Guldbaggen. The awards, first presented in 1964 at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm, are overseen by the Swedish Film Institute. It is described as the Swedish equivalent of the Academy Awards. The awards ceremony was first televised in 1981.
Once Upon a Time There Was a CountryOnce Upon a Time There Was a Country · 1996
Once Upon a Time There Was a Country
8.81996
SeriesDramaComedy
Black marketeers Marko and Blacky manufacture and sell weapons to the Communist resistance in WWII Belgrade, living the good life along the way. Marko's surreal duplicity propels him up the ranks of the Communist Party, and he eventually abandons Blacky and steals his girlfriend. After a lengthy stay in a below-ground shelter, the couple reemerges during the Yugoslavian Civil War of the 1990s as Marko sees the opportunity to exploit the situation. An extended television version of Emir Kusturica's Palme d'Or winning Underground.
Time of the GypsiesTime of the Gypsies · 1990
Time of the Gypsies
1990
SeriesDramaCrime
Perhan is a gypsy teenager with telekinetic powers. A wealthy gypsy, Ahmed, visits the village and promises to get Perhan's sister the medical treatment she needs if they join him to Italy. Perhan soon discovers that Ahmed's business activities are in fact quite shady and he is soon lured into the elder's corrupt surroundings. An extended television version of Kusturica's 1988 film of the same name.
Untold Stories of Eastern EuropeUntold Stories of Eastern Europe · 2018
Untold Stories of Eastern Europe
2018
SeriesDocumentary