After more than ten years, Želimir Žilnik returns to narrative filmmaking with Eighty Plus. Following the screening, Geert Mak will engage in conversation with Žilnik about his oeuvre spanning seven decades of cinema.
Želimir Žilnik, a towering figure of Yugoslav cinema and a Golden Bear laureate (1969, Early Works), returns to narrative filmmaking after more than a decade. In Eighty Plus (Restitucija, ili San i java stare garde), he crafts a playful and poignant portrait of the process of restitution in post-socialist Serbia.
At the heart of the film is Stevan, a retired jazz pianist who returns from Germany to his family’s long-lost estate, which is set to be returned to him through the restitution process. As he reconnects with the land and the people around it, buried tensions and unresolved histories surface.
Žilnik blends professional actors with non-professionals, staying true to his trademark docu-fiction style. Through a soft lens and with lots of humor, Žilnik reflects on the suffering of ordinary people across generations and regimes, using nostalgia and touching musical moments to highlight the impact of socio-political upheaval on personal lives.
Your ticket is valid for the entire day, so you’re warmly welcome to attend other programs as well. You can check the full timetable here. Please note: visitors with a ticket for a specific program will be given priority. Once a venue reaches full capacity, we unfortunately won’t be able to admit additional visitors.
About the speakers
Želimir Žilnik (1942) is a Serbian filmmaker and key figure of the Yugoslav Black Wave-movement. His award-winning work, including Early Works (Golden Bear Berlinale, 1969) and Kenedi Goes Back Home (2003), continues to influence new generations of filmmakers.
Geert Mak (1946) is a journalist and one of the most acclaimed non-fiction writers in the Netherlands. He became widely known to the general public with How God Disappeared from Jorwerd (1996). This was followed by one of his most highly regarded books, My Father’s Century (1999). In 2004, In Europe was published, followed in 2019 by its sequel, Great Expectations. His latest book is Wisselwachter, 2025
About Forum on European Culture
Who’s afraid of art? Now that tyrants are on the roll and more and more people in the West seem to be falling for the autocratic alternative, Forum on European Culture 2025 (June 25 – June 29) brings together international artists, writers, and thinkers to celebrate the subversive power of art and literature.
Speakers
Five days, 30+ programs, 40+ international artists, writers & thinkers, art installations, film screenings, talks and more
Who’s afraid of art? Now that tyrants are on the roll and more and more people in the West seem to be falling for the autocratic alternative, De Balie brings together over 40 international artists, writers, and thinkers. During Forum on European Culture, we celebrate the subversive power of art and literature. It is no
The films of Serbian director Želimir Žilnik are both subversive and deeply humanist. Želimir Žilnik on how cinema can be a form of resistance.
Early Works, Želimir Žilnik’s first feature film, recounts an allegorical story of young people who took part in the 1968 student demonstrations in Belgrade.
