news

If you want to be regularly updated with the news on Emir Kusturica (and on the site kustu.com), you can subscribe to the newsletter. If, of course, you hear some information that is not reported here, you can send me a mail. Thank you.

9 march 2007 : news

News :

• The photomonography of the No Smoking Orchestra has recently been published in Serbia. The book has 182 exclusive pictures taken by Dragan Teodorovic Zeko, who followed the band during the 2004-2006 tour, and contains texts both in English and Serbian language, written by Nelle Karajlic. More information soon.
• The two main actors for the punk opéra "Time of the Gypsies" have been found ! They are : Stevan Andjelkovic (Perhan) and Milica Todorovic (Azra). Those two young singers have been found after their appearance in the very popular show on Serbian TV searching for new talents... We will see them in the opéra Bastille in Paris in june.
• Emir Kusturica is currently in Argentina to shoot some last pictures for his film Maradona.
• In Küstendorf, Emir Kusturica has launched a "biorevolutionary" fruit juice brand. Among the available flavours, we can choose between "Che Guevarra" (redberry), "Fidel Castro" (blackberry) or even "Josip Broz Tito" (bilberry). Emir has reserved his own name for the strawberry flavour... Initially aimed at the village's visitors, Emir Kusturica whishes to distribute his production abroad.
• An old project is tunring into reality : Emir Kusturica is said to have finished his book "diary of a political idiot". The title is not yet definitive... And there's still no release date...
• "All the invisible children" was released on the screens in Belgium on 28/02/07.
• There's still some work to do, but the new website should open in a few weeks.

8 february 2007 : news

News :

• Emir Kusturica was made knight of arts and literature today in Paris. He received his prize from the hands of the French minister of culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres. The Order awards « those who distinguished themselves by their creations in the artistic or literature domains or by the significant propagation of arts or literature in France and in the world».
• The new site goes on well, but there is still lot of work... Meanwhile, don't hesitate to send me your ideas or suggestions.

28 january 2007 : news

News :

• The website kustu.com will soon be completely rebuilt with new pages, more information, more images, more videos, more musique, and some surprises ! The new site is expected to be opened at the end of february. Please be patient...
• Stephen Frears was chosen to be president of the jury of the next festival de Cannes. Some rumours announce already Emir Kusturica's new film The wish in official competition... More info soon.
• Bookings for the punk opera "Time of the gypsies" are already open on the fnac.com website (booking in English available). On the opéra Bastille website, bookings will open on 14 february. Meanwhile, the No Smoking Orchestra is working in the studios...
• While he's finishing the editing of his last film, Emir Kusturica took some pleasure by opening himself the new ski domain in Küstendorf.

20 december 2006 : news

News :

• Some news from the punk opera Time of the Gypsies :
  • The libretto is being completed, with the help of specialists of rrom language : it will be the first opera in the world entirely in rrom (gypsy) language. The opera will not contain recitativo (all the lyrics will be sung), but a subtitle display will allow the audience to have the translation in real time.
  • The music is composed by Nelle Karajlić, Dejan Sparavalo and Stribor Kusturica, from the No Smoking Orchestra, and will be interpreted on stage by the band, with a full 37 musicians symphonic orchestra. It will consist of new compositions between traditionnal and classical music. A new version of the traditionnal song Edelerzi will also be in the opera. Since I have the chance to have heard some parts of the music, I can already say it's very exciting !
  • Emir Kusturica will direct the mise en scène himself. Nelle Karajlić will play the part of Ahmed.
  • A CD with the opera music will be released one month before the première in Paris, and will be distributed by Palass. Later in the year, a DVD will also be released, containing the whole opera.
  • After the shows in Paris, at the opéra Bastille, in june and july, the opera will tour, notably in Valencia, Spain.
• Studiocanal announces the release of Arizona Dream in HD DVD format on 5 march 2007. The film is announced as "long version", certainly to indicate it will include the famous final deleted scene of Axel's wedding.
• First dates - not yet confirmed for the moment - are circulating indicating the release of Maradona in may 2007.
• Year 2007 will be pretty intense, since the new film The wish is also expected (for the festival de Cannes ?). Anyway, the soundtrack of the film will also be distributed by Palass.
• A new article from the Courrier des Balkans on my book was put online on 6 december. Read it in the dossier de presse.
• To French-speaking Canadian people : my book is now sold online on Amazon.ca
• Last, this winter Emir has much worked in his village, to build ... a ski domain !
• With a few days in advance... merry christmas and happy new year !

24 november 2006 : news

News :

• Happy birthday, Emir !
• The DVD of All the invisible children (including the short film Blue Gypsy is released in Germany on 30 november. It can be ordered on Amazon.de.
• Since the end of the shooting of The wish, Emir Kusturica has little spoken to the press. Yet, we have learnt he chose an old song of Halid Bešlić, that he much worked in village, to prepare it to winter sports, and that he reworked some scenes of Maradona. Both films should still be released in 2007.
• They are not yet ready, but in 2007, two books are going to be released on Emir Kusturica : a French one, written by Jean-Max Méjean which will give a passionate analysis of the films, and an English one, written by Stephen Lowenstein, compilation of interviews of many great direcors about their first film. Emir Kusturica speaks of Dolly Bell.

26 october 2006 : news

News :

• During the festival de Cannes, in 2005, Emir Kusturica was president of the jury. French channel Canal+ honoured him by creating a pupett for its satyric show Les guignols de l'info. 4 episodes with Emir Kusturica can be seen on this page.
• Spotlights on ... Mister K. This film by Ronan Dénécé and Augustin Legrand is a deliciously mad film searching for Master Emir Kusturica, in a literal way as well as a physical way. On the roads of Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia, this road movie puzzles onirism, meetings, animals, and strange adventures... to finish triumphally on the shooting set of the film Life is a miracle. And there, the miracle of improvisation happened : Emir Kusturica, surprised by the apparition of these crazy Frenchmen, liked the idea, and gently played with them...
• Some news of The wish : the shooting is likely to be finished, and a working version of the film has been shown to Russian filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov (who came to visit Küstendorf) and who said impressed by the film.
• A new article on my book was printed recently in French newspaper L'Hebdo de Charente-Maritime. Read it (in French) in the dossier de presse.
• European network NISI MASA (supported by filmakers Emir Kusturica, Dominik Moll, Dani Levy and Fernando Trueba) organises a short films contest called "Survive Style", open to all european filmmakers from 18 to 30 years, living in the UE, Southeast of Europe, Turkey and Caucasus countries. Filmmakers have until 15 december 2006 to send 10 minutes maximum short films (fiction, documentary, animation or experimental films) exploring the theme of survival of young people in a fastly transforming Europe under the impact of the globalization and the people migrations felt as oportunities or constraints. All the information : nisimasa.imingo.net.

14 october 2006 : news

News :

• Emir Kusturica's village, Küstendorf has now its official website : www.kustendorf.com. You'll find there pictures galleries, pratical information, artistic exhibitions in the village, with the comments of Emir Kusturica. Of course... with music ! The site is available in English and in Serbian.
• A new interview is online : a conversation between Emir Kusturica and Diego Maradona, published in january 2006.
• A new article on my book was printed today in French newspaper La Voix du Nord. Read it (in French) in the dossier de presse.
• Some news from Stribor Kusturica : after having acted and composed the musique for the new film of his father (The wish), Stribor will starts his own band. Yet, he will still continue to tour with the No Smoking Orchestra.

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