Like any other, Yugoslav cinema also has a vast number of films that don’t deserve attention. However, it also produced many significant films and several true masterpieces. These masterpieces are mostly from the Yugoslav Black Wave, but also from other periods.
Here, I’ll list the 55 best Yugoslav movies, from ‘worst’ to best, according to my tastes. Before we begin, please note that by ‘Yugoslav,’ I mean movies from socialist Yugoslavia, not films made before or after its existence.
Let’s start.
- 55. Idealist – Igor Pretnar
- 54. Memento – Dimitrie Osmanli
- 53. Hi-Fi – Vladimir Blazevski
- 52. Frosina – Vojislav Nanovic
- 51. Walter Defends Sarajevo – Hajrudin Krvavac
- 50. Miss Stone – Zivorad ‘Zika’ Mitrovic
- 49. Macedonian Blood Wedding – Trajče Popov
- 48. Vesna – Frantisek Cáp
- 47. Battle of Sutjeska – Stipe Delic
- 46. Battle of Neretva – Veljko Bulajic
- 45. Caught in the Throat – Srdjan Karanovic
- 44. The Felons – Franci Slak
- 43. Moments of Decision – Frantisek Cáp
- 42. The Widowhood of Karolina Zasler – Matjaz Klopcic
- 41. The Beauty of Vice – Zivko Nikolic
- 40. Handcuffs – Krsto Papic
- 39. Cyclops – Antun Vrdoljak
- 38. Dalmatian Chronicle – Lordan Zafranovic
- 37. Three for Happiness – Rajko Grlic
- 36. My Uncle’s Legacy – Krsto Papic
- 35. The Fourteenth Day – Zdravko Velimirovic
- 34. The Fall of Italy – Lordan Zafranovic
- 33. Snowstorm – Antun Vrdoljak
- 32. Beach Guard in Winter – Goran Paskaljevic
- 31. The Ninth Circle – France Stiglic
- 30. The Dervish and Death – Zdravko Velimirovic
- 29. Happy New Year – Stole Popov
- 28. Balkan Spy – Dušan Kovačević & Božidar Nikolić
- 27. Variola Vera – Goran Markovic
- 26. Black Seed – Kiril Cenevski
- 25. Special Treatment – Goran Paskaljevic
- 24. Fragrance of Wild Flowers – Srdjan Karanovic
- 23. Bravo Maestro – Rajko Grlic
- 22. The Elusive Summer of ’68 – Goran Paskaljevic
- 21. Time of the Gypsies – Emir Kusturica
- 20. Pretty Women Walking Through the City – Zelimir Zilnik
- 19. Life Is a Miracle – Emir Kusturica
- 18. Do You Remember Dolly Bell? – Emir Kusturica
- 17. When Father Was Away on Business – Emir Kusturica
- 16. When I’m Dead and Gone – Zivojin Pavlovic
- 15. Occupation in 26 Pictures – Lordan Zafranovic
- 14. The Rats Woke Up – Zivojin Pavlovic
- 13. The Marathon Family – Slobodan Šijan
- 12. It Rains in My Village – Aleksandar Petrovic
- 11. Early Works – Zelimir Zilnik
- 10. The Ambush – Zivojin Pavlovic
- 9. Red Wheat – Zivojin Pavlovic
- 8. Man Is Not a Bird – Dusan Makavejev
- 7. Who’s Singin’ Over There? – Slobodan Šijan
- 6. Innocence Unprotected – Dusan Makavejev
5. I Even Met Happy Gypsies
I Even Met Happy Gypsies is a poignant and lyrical portrayal of Romani life, blending realism with folklore to explore love, marginalization, and freedom.
Director: Aleksandar Petrovic
Screenwriter: Aleksandar Petrovic
Leading Cast: Bekim Fehmiu, Olivera Katarina, Bata Zivojinovic
Most Significant Recognition: Academy Awards, Cannes Film Festival, Golden Globes, Pula Film Festival of Yugoslavian Films, Thessaloniki Film Festival
4. Love Affair, or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator
Love Affair, or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator, is a genre-blending political satire that critiques bureaucracy and sexual repression through a tragicomic lens.
Director: Dusan Makavejev
Screenwriters: Dusan Makavejev & Branko Vucicevic
Leading Cast: Eva Ras, Slobodan Aligrudic
Most Significant Recognition: Cannes Film Festival, New York Film Festival
3. Young and Healthy as a Rose
Young and Healthy as a Rose is one of the ‘most controversial’ Yugoslav films. This film clarifies the postwar disillusionment of youth in socialist Yugoslavia by using crime and rebellion.
Director: Jovan Jovanovic
Screenwriter: Jovan Jovanovic
Leading Cast: Dragan Nikolic
Most Significant Recognition: This Yugoslav movie would have won many awards, but it was banned and finally released 35 years later, in 2006.
2. Three
Yugoslav movies always had international success, but the first major acclaim was in 1965 with Three. It showcases the horror and absurdity of war via three interconnected tales of death, each examining moral choices under extreme pressure.
Director: Aleksandar Petrovic
Screenwriter: Aleksandar Petrovic / story by Antonije Isakovic
Leading Cast: Bata Zivojinovic, Slobodan Cica Perovic, Ali Raner
Most Significant Recognition: Academy Awards, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Pula Film Festival of Yugoslavian Films
1. WR: Mysteries of the Organism
WR: Mysteries of the Organism is a provocative fusion of documentary and fiction that celebrates sexual liberation while critiquing authoritarianism in both East and West. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the most significant Yugoslav film and one of the most authentic movies ever.
Director: Dusan Makavejev
Screenwriter: Dusan Makavejev
Leading Cast: Milena Dravic, Ivica Vidovic, Zoran Radmilovic
Most Significant Recognition: Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival
We’ve come to the end of this list of Yugoslav films that are most significant in this country’s history. Also, if you want to continue reading, here’s a list of my best-loved movies!
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