Macedonian Bloody Wedding

Movie from  1967, in duration of 102 minutes.
The movie is created in widescreen technique, with sound, in color and 35mm.

Vardar Film Skopje

Rapublic of Macedonia

historical film

Feature film

While in Europe, during the second half of the 19th century bourgeois revolutions take place, Macedonia is still a part of the confirmed feudal empire of Turkey. Macedonian people are exposed to the violence of the Turk's feudal landowners. Anarchy and confusion reign everywhere in the empire and the result of this is the terrorizing of the unprotected population. On the estate of one of the many Bays in Macedonia, a lot of "his" peasants work for him, for Osman Bay. It is harvest time. The Bay pursues a Turk, who because of his progressive ideas has to be punished. The shepherd Spas helps him to escape. The hunt for the escaped Turk leads the Turkish soldiers to the harvesters. The peasant girl Cveta is also among them. Her beauty cannot help but be noticed by the Bay. Osman Bay kidnaps the girl. He brings her into his caravan among the other women of his harem. The promise of easy life as one of his wives is not enough to persuade Cveta to change her religion and give up her relatives. Her peasant fellows, lead by the priest and the shepherd Spase, as well as by her beloved look for her release.
The great diplomatic representatives of the powerful states, situated in Bitola engage in the case of retrieving the girl so she is released. On Cveta's wedding day, the Bay seeking revenge, comes with his soldiers. Cveta is killed, and Spase kills the Bay and gets away to the woods, joining the "kommiti" guerilla, the Macedonian freedom movement.

The film adaptation of the play "Macedonian Bloody Wedding" (the first play written in authentic Macedonian language) by Voidan Chernodrinski is one of the most successful projects of "Vardar Film" production of its kind. The text is a classical national play with emphasized melodramatic elements. It remained on the stage for such a long time that it acquired a fixed performance, very rarely changed. Its cinematographic commentary is organized as classical, balanced transposition without intruding into its communicative i. e. media possibilities. The play was adapted by Slavko Janevski who successfully managed to avoid all the traps of the genre, inventing a plausible dramatic base appropriate for cinematographic creation. Trajche Popov, making his debut in the feature film’s production directed the film.
His explicitness turned into a purified dramatic construction, with clear visual codes, whose creative usage unfortunately was not easily recognized. The cast followed an underlined media model and it included a number of famous names like Petre Prlichko, Zhafir Hadzhimanov, Ilija Milchin, Pavle Vuisic, Risto Shishkov, Dragomir Felba, Dragi Kostovski Darko Damevski, Janez Vrhovec, Aco Jovanovski; while the woman's roles were played by Vera Chukic, Cvetanka Jakimovska, Vukosava Doneva and Ljupka Dzhundeva. There is an attempt in the formal aspect of the film to synthesize a spiritual inheritance in the form of an active shape imposed by the plot itself. The photography is the most remarkable component in this respect. The artistic sensibility of the cameraman Kiro Bilbilovski enabled him to demonstrate his plastic affinity and respect for Macedonian art tradition. Sometimes his folklore inspiration is obviously influenced by the stage organization of the space while sometimes he succeeds in creating dynamic penetration into the exterior and interior typical of film narration. The folklore inspiration is also present in the costume designed by Rada Petrova as well as the music composed by Kiril Makedonski. From the very first moment the responses of the audience justified the fact that a film of this genre was needed. This film was a serious attempt to enrich and synthesize the humanistic determination of the Macedonians.

1968 FYFF, Pula, Golden Arena for art direction / Nikica Lazarevski
1969 Golden Plaque with Lenin’s face for the film's success in USSR

Director: Popov Trajche
Screenplay: Janevski Slavko
Director of Photography: Bilbilovski Kiro
Camerman: Samoilovski Misho
Editor: Chemchev Vangel - Laki
Leading Roles: Angelovski Kole , Chukic Vera , Felba Dragomir , Hadzimanov Zafir , Kostovski Dragi , Prlichko Petre , Shishkov Risto , Vrhovec Janez , Vuisic Pavle
Supporting Roles: Arsova Dzundeva Ljupka , Beginov Boris , Cekova Stojka , Cortoshev Kiril , Costarov Dimitar , Damevski Darko , Dinevski Vukan , Dishljenkovic Predrag , Doneva Vukosava , Geshoski Dimitar , Gravchevski Vladimir , Isaja Mara , Jakimovska Cvetanka , Jovanovski Aco , Kamdzijas Chedo , Milchin Ilija , Nikolovski Todor , Popov Kiro , Stefanovski Aco , Stefanovski Dimche , Stefanovski Risto , Vasovski Pance - Kamshik , Vidov Toma , Vrteva Veska
Music: Makedonski Kiril
Art Director: Lazarevski Nikola
Costume Designer: Petrova Rada
Sound: Janevski Jordan
Sound Editor: Janevski Jordan
Gaffer: Habazin Ivica
Second Ass. Director: Nedkov Kocho
Ass. Directors: Mizhimakov Panta , Petrovski Meto
Ass. Editor: Lukova Donchic Olga
Ass. Camerman: Salkovski Dragan
Unit Manager: Kalic Miki
Production Manager: Angelovski Blagoja

Other actors:

Mica Orlovic
Nedzmija Pagarusha
Vera Vuchkova
Tashe Kochovski
Boris Stefanovski
Anton Pavlov
Zoja Pejovska
Kircho Bozhinovski
Stojche Kamchev
Blagoja Ruski


Add. credits:

mask -- Mirko Machkic
location manager -- Risto Teofilovski
script girl -- Lidija Debarlieva
set designer -- Miladin Arandjelovic
assistant cameramen -- Risto Buklevski
dialogue advisor on Turkish language -- Ilhami Emin
dialogue advisor on French language -- Najden Nastev
photographer -- Zoran Stankovski
gaffer -- Ivica Habazin
make up -- Lejla Mandzuka
assistant production manager -- Blagoja Kondratjuk
dressers -- Ivan Ivanov; Ljubica Ivanova
propmen -- Angele Camilovski; Trajko Stojanovic
music performed by -- Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
conductor -- Kiril Makedonski