Filmmaker Bruno Anković looks at the past to better understand the present in the historical drama Celebration (Proslava). Inspired by the book of the same name, Celebration by Damir Karakaš, Anković revisits a specific and divisive moment in time that has forever left an imprint on world history and politics. Celebration made its World Premiere at the 2024 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The Tragic Trajectory of Innocence to Ideological

Bernard Tomić plays Mijo, a young, defeated soldier who finds refuge in the woods outside his impoverished Croatian village. It is Autumn 1945, at the end of World War II, and Mijo has gone into hiding in fear of retaliation. He cannot fathom surrendering and facing the consequences of his actions, which are the result of right-wing brainwashing. Mijo, who grew up an innocent, good-natured kid, is interestingly both the protagonist and antagonist of this story. So how did Mijo, a good kid with a pure heart, end up complying with the “enemy”? Through eye-opening flashbacks, Celebration explores the monumental events and difficult circumstances that led to Croatia’s expansion of extremism and right-wing ideology.

Watch the Celebration trailer here.

Brutal Circumstances are Amplified by Aesthetic and Sound

Celebration is Bruno Anković’s feature film debut and a successful one at that. Capturing the bleak and conflicting circumstance that Mijo finds himself in is amplified by gritty aesthetics. The score has an interesting cadence to it, almost sounding like high-pitched wind rather than a traditional composition. Visually, the film has a Terrence Malick quality, specifically in the scenes of lush rural landscapes. At times, the color grade can be too dark and hard to distinguish what is happening on screen, which is the film’s only flaw. Creating something so beautiful out of subject matter that is so difficult to digest is a true feat.

As a Croatian filmmaker, this story is deeply personal to Anković. However, he is convinced that history is repeating itself, and therefore Celebration is a global foreshadowing of what condoning evil entities would look like today. Anković explains it best: “I wanted to use this film to try to explain to myself why our grandfathers became so cruel, why they could ever be part of the Nazi and fascist movements. I simply had a need to talk about the type of environment in which evil could take root. Particularly in light of the world today – in Europe and all over the world we can now see the resurgence of right-wing movements, groups, politicians – so we ask ourselves: where did we all go wrong?”

Takeaway

Celebration acts as a mirror for the younger generations to recognize the warning signs of impending political turmoil and a catalyst to act accordingly. We cannot remove the stains of the past but it is in our power to ensure our future is equitable, prosperous, and something we want to look forward to.