Vitic Dances – feature documentary

Feature-length documentary film about the 20-year struggle of artist Boris Bakal to restore, through cooperation and conflicts with the local community (co- owners/tenants), an apartment building in Zagreb, a masterpiece of modernist architecture, which thus becomes a metaphor for the entire Croatian/European society, its dynamics, controversies and misconceptions. A hypertextual story about exploring the purpose and futility of individual advocacy for the common good. A s story about all of us, about others in us and around us, and the space in between. A movie with a happy ending with a twist.

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE FILM
Original title: Vitić pleše
Title in English: Vitć Dances
Country of production: Croata
Year of production: 2023.
Movie length: 90

List of awards / festivals where the film has been shown so far:

• 39. ZagrebDox 2023 – Official Program “State of Affairs” (March 30 & April 1st, 2023.)
• Subversive film festival – Program “Cultural infrastructure of the community” (April, 26, 2023.)
• 32. Dani hrvatskog filma 2023 – Main Documentary Competition – Special Jury Award (May 17, 2023.)
• 18. festival AKTO, Skopje (October 13, 2023)
• Meetings of Young European Cinema & Чешки център София / Czech Centre, Sofia (October 23,.2023.)
• Desire International Festival Subotica 2023 – Special Program (Serbia)
• Balkan New Film Festival, Stockholm, 2023 – Award For Contribution to Cultural Heritage and Memory (Sweden)
• Architecture Festival Budapest, 2024 (Hungary)
• Asian Talent International Film Festival 2024 – Award for The Best Feature-length Documentary (India)
• San Antonio Independent Film Festival 2024 – Award for The Best Feature-length Documentary (Ecuador)
• London Indi Film Festival LIFF 2024 – Best Director, Best Producer, Best Feature Documentary (UK)
• Biografilm Festival 2024 – Official Selection: Contemporary Lives (Italy)
• 17. Cine del Mar 2024 – Official Selection (Uruguay)
• Rasnov Film and Histories Festival (FFIR), 2024 – Official Selection (Romania)

* “VITIC DANCES is the best reminder of a corrupt environment and a community violently organized on the basis of the rights of the stronger.” – Iva Rosandić, dokumentarni.net

* ” VITIC DANCES is an unexpectedly emotional film and a fantastic fresco of a society in transition.” Pavica Knezović Belan, jutarnji.hr

* ” VITIC DANCES is an ode to active coexistence, but also a living study of Croatian reality in the well-known cocktail of clientelism, carelessness and unprofessionalism.” Andrea Stanić, kulturpunkt.hr

* “Like the architect’s wife Nada, who danced through life with her husband, Bakal dances with Vitić’s house, a paradigmatic example of Croatian modernity. His move to temporarily move into Vitić’s building, in order to patiently build an atmosphere of togetherness on the spot in a house that is literally collapsing and reconstruction, it is almost unrealistically humanistic.” – Marina Pavković, economist and doctor of architecture, on Facebook