The movie “White suit”- On the Road to Oscar

“Everything shown in this film really happened”, claims Lazar Ristovski, “but I wanted to raise it a foot above the ground and give it a sense of surreal and poetic. Why? Because today’s audience is so much pressured by the reality of life (especially in Yugoslavia) and needs an embellished picture of the world that relies on romantic enthusiasm, emotions, passion, poetics, honor, chivalry, and the desire to play and show tolerance.”

All the characters in the film – regardless of their social, educational or cultural background – are selfaware and allow themselves to ponder on large issues like life itself, love, survival, existence, death, the endless circle, the passage of life and the imperfect nature of Mankind. They are not afraid to show their true feelings and true colors. The lead character goes one step further: he is not even afraid of death.

“THIS YEAR THE YUGOSLAV CINEMA MADE US A GIFT”

Despite the fact that the production has fallen below ten titles, the Yugoslav cinema has made us a gift. After the big success of ” Black Cat, White Cat” by Emir Kusturica (Silver Lion at the 1998 Venice Festival) and Goran Paskaljevic with “Bure Baruta” (best European film in 1998 according to the Association of film critics FIPRESCI) we’ve been presented with “The White Suit” – a film by Lazar Ristovski which he signs as the producer, screenwriter, director and lead actor. Mentioning these names brings about a sense of like-minded people. This is a logical evolution, after the triumph with the role of Crni in Kusturica’s “Underground” (Golden Palm, Cannes 1995) and his striking, memorable role in “Bure Baruta”. Now a mature actor, Ristovski surely belongs to the world’s acting elite and not only in Belgrade – where he is revered like Depardieu in Paris.

Jean Roy

OSCAR CANDIDATES 1999 YEAR

Argentina, “Manuelita,” Manuel Garcia Ferre, režiser
Austria, “Northern Skirts,” Barbara Albert, director
Belgium, “Rosetta,” Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, director
Bhutan, “The Cup,” Khyentse Norbu, director
Brazil, “Orfeu,” Carlos Diegues, director
Canada, “Set Me Free,” Lea Pool, director
China, “Lover’s Grief over the Yellow River,” Feng Xiao Ning, director
Argentina, “Manuelita,” Manuel Garcia Ferre, director
Austria, “Northern Skirts,” Barbara Albert, director
Belgium, “Rosetta,” Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, director
Denmark, “Mifune,” Soren Kragh-Jacobsen, director
Finland, “The Tough Ones,” Aleksi Makela, director
France, “East-West,” Regis Wargnier, director
Georgia, “Here Comes the Dawn,” Zaza Urushadze, director
Germany, “Aimee & Jaguar,” Max Farberbock, director
Greece, “From the Edge of the City,” Constantinos Giannaris, director
Hong Kong, “Ordinary Heroes,” Ann Hui, director
Hungary, “The Lord’s Lantern in Budapest,” Miklos Jancso, director
Iceland, “The Honour of the House,” Gudny Halldorsdottir, director
India, “Earth,” Deepa Mehta, director
Indonesia, “Sri,” Marselli Sumarno, director
Iran, “The Colours of Paradise,” Majid Majidi, director
Israel, “Yana’s Friend,” Arik Kaplun, director
Italy, “Not of this World,” Giuseppe Piccioni, director
Japan, “Railroad Man,” Yasuo Furuhata, director
Lebanon, “Around the Pink House,” Khalil Joreige & Joana Hadjithomas, director
Mexico, “El Coronel no tiene quien le escriba,” Arturo Ripstein, director
Nepal, “Caravan,” Eric Valli, director
The Netherlands, “Scratches in the Table,” Ineke Houtman, director
Norway, “The Prompter,” Hilde Heier, director
Peru, “Captain Pantoja and the Special Services,” Francisco J. Lombardi, director
The Philippines, “The Kite,” Gil M. Portes, director
Poland, “Pan Tadeusz,” Andrzej Wajda, director
Portugal, “The Mutants,” Teresa Villaverde, director
Romania, “The Famous Paparazzo“, Nicolae Margineanu, director
Russia, “Moloch,” Alexander Sokurov, director
Slovakia, “All My Loved Ones,” Matej Minac, director
Spain, “All About My Mother,” Pedro Almodovar, director
Sweden, “Under the Sun,” Colin Nutley, director
Switzerland, “Beresina, or The Last Days of Switzerland,” Daniel Schmid, director
Tajikistan, “Luna Papa,” Bakhtiar Khudojnazarov, director
Taiwan, “March of Happiness,” Lin Cheng-sheng, director
Turkey, “Mrs. Salkim’s Diamonds,” Tomris Gintlioglu, director
United Kingdom (Wales), “Solomon and Gaenor,” Paul Morrison, director
Venezuela, “Glue Sniffer,” Elia Schneider, director
Vietnam, “Three Seasons,” Tony Bui, director
Yugoslavia, “The White Suit,” Lazar Ristovski, director.

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