Zona Zamfirova

It is a great comedy and excellent love drama The music in the movie is good too and the girls are great. It is a drama about live in Nis (Serbia) 1906 after Ottoman occupation and the customs in that period. It is for sure a movie worth watching

I agree the English translation is poor. I see just one possible reason: unfamiliarity with the dialect that actors speak. Serbs in general speak well English and people that work as translators are highly professionals. I guess they simple did not understand what actors tell. Actors speak the mixture of old Slavic and Serbian with many Turkish words. I am a lucky one I do understand and speak the dialect that differs from Serbian literary language. However if we move forward from the language issue one can for instance notice: excellent costumes, music, actors that perfectly match to that time and events. One always can find weaknesses but we should search for good in all.

Zona Zamfirova was shown at a special screening in Toronto, in 2003. There are some bugs to work out, my main pet peeve being the subtitles. I have yet to see a well subtitled film from anywhere in the Balkans, and although using unusual contractions in English words may be a reflection of the particular dialect of the setting, if you don't speak the language (which you don't, because you're reading the subtitles, right?) then you don't appreciate it. Frankly, even for people who speak literary Serbian, the dialect is a stumper... the DVD even gives you non-dialect Serbian subtitles (which are good). Seeing the film made me go back to read the book by Stevan Sremac once again. It is very true to the book. Zona is beautiful, and she is initially snobby - it's a little much to compare her to Paris Hilton, but I think we've all met Zona in high school. If you remember that film and stage require you to 'suspend your disbelief', then you forget that the actress isn't quite 18, and that the lead actor isn't '90210 Pretty' (if you read more literature from the period, and look at some of the art, the male lead conforms to all expectations). You are willing to overlook these things, in order to immerse yourself in the visual beauty of the film. The director was fortunate to be able to film in some historic buildings and locations, and the details are dead on. The costumes are correct, down to the last stitch (sorry about Zona wearing red, but, check the book....), the hills and vineyards and cobblestone streets - it all draws you in, if you let it. Sometimes it's best to just enjoy a movie for what it is - an entertaining escape.

ZONA ZAMFIROVA is really entertaining movie capturing the Balkan's atmosphere a century ago. Dating was an art, marriage was an interesting business and the virginity was women's only and most protected capital. But unfortunately this film is totally not understandable for western audience. The language style, the situation bloopers, the psychology of the people were things you could get familiar only if you have ever lived with. And like in NO MAN'S LAND the humor of ZONA's love excitement is reaching only those slavic-speaking, doomed to live on the crossroad called Balkans. Serb films are coming to Bulgaria so rarely, but it's always great pleasure to see something so fresh and funny!

I've just watched Zona Zamfirova and enjoyed it from start to finish. Dragan Nikolic is one of my favorite actors because he really assumes any role he is assigned. Costumes, scenery, music were fabulous. I speak Serbian, though of course, found the dialect hard to follow, so I clicked on the English subtitles. Lamentable! I almost had more trouble understanding the subtitles than the Serbian. It would appear that the translator didn't bother to even look up some English words. What is a "cytek"? And to use "kum" and "dever" as if everyone understands is really inexcusable. There are lots of good translators here--why did the producers stint on paying to find a good one??