World Premiere of Kusturica’s Punk Opera in Paris

PARIS (SEEcult.org) - The punk opera "Time of the Gypsies" by well known movie director from former Yugoslavia Emir Kusturica, two-time Cannes winner, will be premiered on June 26 in Opera Bastille in Paris.
Kusturica’s opera is based on his film “Dom za vesanje” (1999), internationaly known as “Time of the Gypsies”.

Text is written by Nenad Jankovic, based on an original script by Gordan Mihic and Kusturica, and will be performed on Gypsy language.

Beside the No Smoking Orchestra and The Garbage Serbian Philarmonia, the opera “Time of the Gypsies”, a coproduction by Palass from France and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía from Valencia, featuring Stevan Andjelkovic as Perhan, Milica Todorovic as Azra, Dr. Nele Karajlic as Ahmed and Gorica Popovic as Perhan’s grandmother.

Kusturica declared in April on Serbian TV that “the main theme of the opera will be Ederlezi” and described his new work as a story about youth, entering in the real world. “We used this theme as it’s the most relevant Gipsy song, and we made of it a kind of purification and cathartic journey trough life“, said Kusturica.

Kusturica also wrote music, along with his son Stribor and Dejan Sparavalo and Nenad Jankovic. Sets are made by Peter Pabst and Ivana Protic, and clothes by Nesa Lipanovic, while for lights is responsible Michel Amathieu.

Kusturica presented his new film “Promise Me This” at the 60th Cannes Film Festival.
He is two-time Cannes winner, having scooped the Golden Palm for “When Father Was Away on Business” in 1985 and “Underworld” in 1995.

Finalists

2004
-Stevan Andjelkovic
-Slavica Cukteras
-Darko Filipovic
-Branislav "Bane" mojicevic
-Nemanja Nikolic
-Tanja Savic
Bane Mojicevic with his amazing voice and vocal skill won the viewers, yet, his colleaagues Tanja Savic, Slavica Cukteras and Darko Filipovic gained much more popularity. The three of them had their first albums come out almost immediatelly after the finals. By this day, they have become established folk music stars in Serbia

2005
-Jadranka Barjaktarevic
-Nenad Jovanovic
-Sasa Jovanovic
-Jovana Pajic
-Aca Randjelovic
-Milica Todorovic
The winner of the second season of Zvezde Granda was Milica Todorović, who is still waiting for her first album to come out. This generation of Grand Stars was arguably less successful than the first one.

2007
The season is running.
It is expected in july to reach final.

Concept

Although it doesn't seem like that, the concept differs from the American idol. Judges, led by the owner of Grand Production Sasa Popovic and other folk music stars and producers chose contestants on auditions. There are six finalists (mostly three guys and three girls), who compete in the final night, when one, Grand Star, is chosen. This act is, however, purely symbolical - being the chosen Grand Star does not guarantee success. The only thing finalists get is one or two songs on Grand Stars compilation album. After that, they are pretty much left on their own, to find the way to viewer's hearts and make an album.
Zvezde Granda enjoys huge popularity in Serbia and the show's ratings get better every year.