¿Quién canta allá?

I saw this film (it's English title is "Who's Singing Over There?") at the 1980 Montreal International Film Festival. It won raves then... and disappeared. A terrible shame. It is brilliant. Sublime, ridiculous, sad, and extremely funny. The script is a work of art. It's been 19 years and I've seen only a handful of comedies (or any other genre, for that matter) that can match its originality.

If you like "tragicomedies" and dramas within comedies, then this film is just made for you. The portrayal of all the characters is stereotypical to every detail and line. How to turn boring and unattractive everyday Serbian life and landscape of Serbia at the time of II. world war to what it came out on the film is spectacular. Even though, most actors were well known and respected in former Yugoslavia and beyond, their parts in this film were re-emerging for them. There are a few times you can easily forget that they are in fact, acting, they are that good! To give this amazing cast that screenplay and a great director, you know you are making a hit. The storyline is beyond the wildest imagination. When you stop laughing because of one scene, there is another one unexpectedly kicking right in again. It all comes clear at the end, but don't miss even a second of the film or you will regret doing so. Considering hard life in Serbia, films there have similar stories, but each and every one of them is told differently through every film. I can't forget the amazing (!!!) soundtrack that follows every "breaking point" in the film. Well thought through in every aspect, this film can easily be one of the best dark comedies of all time and surely one of the best Yugoslavian films in history.

// There are so many more great similar Yugoslavian black comedies you should check out, like: Maratonci trce pocasni krug (1982), Balkanski spijun (1984, ... //

This movie is one of the funniest, saddest and most accurate portrayals of the mentality that seems to have pervaded the Balkans yet again, 45 years after the time depicted. All the usual characters and conflicts are presented with such anger, sadness and love combined that it is impossible to decide whether crying or laughing would be the more appropriate response. The accuracy of portrayal and the timelessness of the types, however, make it for a great film to watch if one wants to understand a little bit of what drove ex-Yugoslavia to its madness. In fact, no diplomat dealing with the region should attempt anything until they saw this movie, and its twin, *Maratonci trce pocasni krug.* Did I mention it is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen?

This is as close to a perfect movie as any I have seen. "Ko to tamo peva" simply has it all - interesting human story, great historical significance, fabulous social commentary, hilarious and smart comedy.... What more could you possibly want from a movie?

One of the best Serbian films ever made, it continues to stand the test of time 22 years after its release.

I really don't want to go into description of different plot points because no amount of text can even remotely convey the atmosphere of this masterpiece. You just need to see it. Credit goes to director Slobodan Sijan and the great cast for taking Dusan Kovacevic's already fabulous text and making it into something even better.

I'm not sure if this movie has ever been translated and properly released in the West. If it has, stop at nothing to get it. You can thank me later.

Actually I'm surprised there were so many comments about this movie. I saw it as part of a Slavic film festival at a major American University. But nobody in USA has heard of it, which is a real shame! The dynamics between the people are what makes it both funny and sad. They are stuck together on a long bus trip--someplace most of us have been!! But I never had one like this!!

My favorite scene is the one where they stop for the funeral. Then the man & woman sneak off for some Lovemaking in the forest but everybody follows them to watch without them knowing! Just as she raises her skirt and he enters her all the way--the consumptive starts hacking & they realize everybody is watching!! Talk about premature withdrawall!! But...you really have to feel for them even if it is hilariously funny! When you see the ending it is sort of ironic that they enjoyed themselves while they did! Serb humor at it's best!