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User:Lokys dar Vienas/Za Beograd

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Za Beograd (also Sviće zora u subotu, by the first line) is the signature song of the Yugoslav cult film Who's Singin' Over There? sung by two Romani youths. Written by the film's composer Vojislav Kostić, it has become notable by itself and was frequently covered by other artists.[1]

In the film

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The film opens with the song sung by two Roma youths into the camera and it continues throughout the film. The older musician plays accordion, the younger one plays the jaw harp. The action of the film is in the bus traveling to Belgrade in 1941 immediately before the German bombing of Belgrade at the beginning of the Invasion of Yugoslavia.

Film critic Fedor Tot compares the song with the Greek chorus: the action stops, the singers sing the next piece of the song that comments on the major events in the surrounding life, then the action continues. Other than that the Roma singers take little part in the action of the film, with the exception of the very end when they are accused of stealing the wallet. Other passengers treat the singers negatively as stereotypical Roma, according to the two most common stereotypes: musicians and thieves. Ironically, the singers were the sole survivors of the bombing among the passengers because they were expelled from the bus.[1]

Actors

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The role of the older singer was played by Miodrag "Mića" Kostić (25 years at the time of the filming; born on June 27, 1955, native of Belgrade[2]) and of the younger one by Miodrag's nephew, Nenad Kostić (11 years). Miodrag earned 3 million dinars and Nenad 1.5 million for the roles.[3][2]

In interviews, Miodrag describes how he got the role. It so happened that he and film director Slobodan Šijan took part in the same military exercise, but in different companies. Miodrag was proposed to do a gig for the soldiers and probably that's what brought Šijan's attention. After that Miodrag got an offer.[3]

When Miodrag was suggested to take a child for a companion, he refused to work with an unfamiliar kid and suggested his nephew, Nenad. Since Nenad could not play jaw harp, he only held it by the mouth and Mića Đorđević recorded the playing in the studio.[3][2]

Since the film Miodrag remained an accordion player, and Nenad had eventually become a bus driver.[3] Miodrag also played roles of Roma musician in the 1994 TV series Otvorena vrata, in the 2004 comedy film Pljacka Treceg Rajha[4] and some others.

In 2017, before the gala screening of the digitally restored film, the scene was given to Miodrag and Nenad with their song, which earned the first ovations of the event.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Fedor Tot, Who’s Singin’ Over There?: Roma music and survival in Yugoslav cinema - Ko to tamo peva, Bright Wall / Dark Room, issue 92, February 2021
  2. ^ a b c Duca Jovanović, Mića Kostić, pevač legendarnih songova iz "Ko to tamo peva", ekskluzivno za Muzičku apoteku, Telegraf, October 25, 2022
  3. ^ a b c d e Katarina Nikolić, SCENA, INTERVJU: MIODRAG KOSTIĆ HARMONIKAŠ, Ekspres, December 23, 2017
  4. ^ Argymir Iwicki, Ko to tamo peva? – zakręcony los aktora, January 15, 2021 (in Polish)
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Category:Serbian songs Category:Songs written for films

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