AFI FILM FEST: WEEK 2
L istings and commentary for Week 2 of the American Film Institute Film Festival of Los Angeles, which runs through March 26:
THURSDAY
“Happy New Year, 1949” (Yugoslavia, 1986, 12:30 p.m.). Written by Gordan Mihic and directed by Stole Popov, this rich, harrowing family saga re-creates the postwar era, a time of political witch-hunting when Tito was still gathering strength to defy Stalin. Against this background, the film makers tell a classic Cain-and-Abel tale in which a decent older brother (Meto Jovanovski) is jailed on a flimsy political protest while his flashy, cynical younger brother (Svetozar Cvetkovic) drifts further and further into a life of crime. For all the suffering this film depicts, it is a vital, intimate epic of intense passion and stunning visual beauty. Recommended.
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
