Cirkus Columbia

[Dan Dassow]

Today's Zaman
Danis Tanovic returns to his roots in ‘Cirkus Columbia’
08 January 2011, Saturday / EMİNE YILDIRIM , İSTANBUL

Who can forget the magnificent film “No Man’s Land”? Bosnian filmmaker Danis Tanovic’s feature debut was one of the best films to illustrate the devastation of the former Yugoslavia.

Now Tanovic returns with a film that aims for a similar verisimilitude. With the kind of absurdist yet humane humor specific to the region, “Cirkus Columbia” follows a personal story in an idyllic Herzegovinian town with the looming Yugoslav wars of the early ’90s in the background.

Veteran actor and comedian Miki Manojlovic stars as the idiosyncratic macho Divko. He left his hometown -- a place unspecified in Herzegovina -- 20 years ago to make his fortune in Germany and escape the communist regime. Now that the Eastern Bloc has broken down, he comes back to town armed with a brand new red Mercedes, a black cat called Bonny, which he walks on a leash, and a bombshell younger girlfriend Azra (Jelena Stupljanin). The problem is that Divko has some evil thoughts on his mind, fuelled by a desire for revenge. His wife, Lucija (the wonderful Mira Furlan from “Lost”), refused to come with him 20 years ago and decided to raise their only son Martin (Boris Ler) on her own, with the help of her friend, the army officer. Divko has no compassion for his wife and estranged son and evicts them from their house immediately to claim it as his own. ...

[Dan Dassow]

http://www.indiewire.com/article/201...anovics_cirkus

Strand Take Rights to Danis Tanovic’s “Cirkus”
by Brian Brooks
28 June 2011

U.S. rights Oscar winner Danis Tanovic’s latest, “Cirkus Columbia” have been picked up by Strand Releasing. The film is the fourth feature since his Academy Award winner, “No Man’s Land,” which took best foreign film in 2001. Strand plans a late fall 2011 roll out. ...

“Cirkus Columbia” stars Miki Manojlovic whose credits include Emir Kusturica’s “When Father Was Away on Business,” Francois Ozon’s “Criminal Lovers” and Sam Garbarski’s “Irina Palm,” which he received a Best Actor nomination at the European Film Awards. The film also stars Mira Furlan from the TV series “Lost” and “Babylon 5.”
Strand Releasing is based in Culver City, CA and is run by Gerrans and Marcus Hu. Strand’s current slate includes Catherine Breillat’s “The Sleeping Beauty,” Claude and Nathan Miller’s “I’m Glad My Mother is Alive” Tom Tykwer’s “3,” and Braden King’s “Here.”
Strand plans for a late fall release.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Mira's a class act. Always happy to see her getting more work.