Having long been cinematically accustomed to the fact that all kinds of horrors can take place behind the iron curtain, Zagreb Film Festival decided to cast a glance to the other side and see if terror, dread and horror also appeared on the silver screen. Although never a dominant genre (unlike westerns, crime and even SF), the Eastern European horror primarily wanted to scratch the surface of its own historical and present-day traumas. Romanians in the Ceausescu era shoot Dracula, Croats connect the New Wave and Serbs country lore with vampires, while the Soviet Union settles scores with the terror which, according to official records, never even existed. Eastern European horror, the Slavic chill, the fear that drove Bram Stoker to write his Dracula imbues and pervades the films waiting for an audience to – suck their blood!
Bloodsuckers
Dejan Šorak
Krvopijci
Yugoslavia, 1989, 86’
A vampire horror story taking place in the misty streets on Zagreb's Old Town. While rumor has it that a vampire has been attacking lonely women in Zagreb, a night visitor comes to psychiatrist Franz Glogowecz's office in a... Više
The Cremator
Juraj Herz
Spalovač Mrtvol
Czechoslovakia, 1969, 95’
Inspired by a novel by Ladislav Fuks, this iconic horror comedy is considered one of the best Czech films ever made. It takes place in Prague in the 1930s, during the radicalization of the political situation in Europe. It is a... Više
The She-Butterfly
Leptirica
Yugoslavia, 1973, 63’
Based on the novel Twenty Years Later by Milovan Glišić, The She-Butterfly is the first horror film made in the former Yugoslavia. Fresh bread is scarce in the village of Zarožje. The village mill cannot grind enough flour by... Više
Viy (Spirit of Evil)
Konstantin Jeršov, Georgij Kropačjov
Viy
USSR, 1967, 77’
The fantasy horror Viy or Spirit of Evil is a loose adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's story of the same title. For a long time it was the only true horror film of the Soviet cinema. Koma, a young student of theology, is coming home... Više
Vlad the Impaler: The True Life of Dracula
Doru Năstase
Vlad Tepes
Romania, 1979, 114’
Despite its title, Vlad Tepes is not a vampire movie about the legendary character Dracula, but a historical epic about the notorious ruler. When Turkish sultan Mehmed II decides to conquer Wallachia, Vlad and his loyal army... Više
Tickets information:
Films from these sections are scheduled at Zagreb Dance Centre. Free tickets for screenings can be picked up at the Zagreb Dance Centre ticket office only. The ticket can be picked up every day, starting at 17.00 h. One person can take not more than four free tickets per screening.