Ciné-guerrillas: The Scenes From the Labudović Reels , a new documentary by multi-awarded Serbian director Mila Turajlić, author of the notable feature-length documentaries Cinema Communisto and Other side of Everything, will premiere at the “TIFF Docs” program of the 47th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the most prestigious festivals in the world and the most relevant festival on North American soil, on September 10th.
In a statement for the FCS website, Mila Turajlić emphasized and clarified the following:
“‘Ciné-guerrillas’ is part of the documentary diptych ‘Scenes from the Labudovic Reels’ (until this moment we have not specified the final Serbian title), which is structured as an archival ‘road trip’ that reveals the film heritage of the Non-Aligned Movement. Created as a portrait but also a testament of Stevan Labudović, the cameraman of Film news Yugoslavia who was in charge of accompanying the President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito during the famous Journeys of Peace, the diptych analyzes the role of the film image in the formation of the political vision of the Third World. Until recently unused and unedited archival footage, as well as the testimony of Labudović and his film comrades from the period of the Algerian Liberation War, lead us into the hidden background of the film image as an instrument of the anti-colonial struggle. While one half of the diptych will have its premiere on September 10 in Toronto, the other half will have its world premiere later in the fall, after which domestic audiences will have the opportunity to see both films together.
The film was produced by the local company Poppy Pictures, in co-production with Survivance from France and with the participation of Restart from Zagreb and Kino from Podgorica. Let us remind you that Mile Turajlić’s previous film The Other Side of Everything won the prize for the best feature film at the prestigious IDFA festival, and soon after it was premiered in Serbia, in the Belgrade “Sava Center” as part of the 23rd Author’s Film Festival, after which it was also found in the regular repertoire of Serbian cinemas. The documentary was created as a co-production of Serbia, France and HBO Europe, and it is also the first co-production of HBO Europe with Serbia. It was also supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, Eurimages, CNC – Cinemas du monde, Doha Film Institute and Film Center Serbia.