CLASSROOM RASCALS
feature film
About project
Classroom Rascals is a feature family film that takes place in fantasy land Yututunia, which enormously resembles of Serbia at the end of 19th century. It is musical which is build around the theme of beating as an educational method.
Besides the film: The aim is to produce a feature family film, four TV episodes and making of. The plan is to raise as much awareness through different media and publicity channels for the project and for the theme of school and domestic violence.
Genre: Film is a musical comedy for the children and family. However, there is a certain gloomy feeling and feeling of anxiety, caused by constant threats of beatings and violence posed to playful spirit of childhood.
What is it about: On the first level, it is about the beating as an educational tool. On the second level, it is about resistance to modernism and innovation, contempt for new ideas and reforms, which are so inherent to our society.
Support
Film has received a financial support from several local film funds (City of Belgrade, Provence of Vojvodina, City of Novi Sad). Film is supported by People’s Office of the President of the Republic.The idea used as the basis for the making of the movie “Classroom Rascals” is supported by Serbian Government’s Council for Child’s Rights, together with the Council of Europe office in Belgrade and Save the Children Norway
Authors express gratitude to the Belgrade office of UNICEF for their expert help.
Synopsis- Sinopsis
Six characters taken from the poetry of the famous Serbian poet Zmaj Jova Jovanović are beginning their forth grade at school. Besides regular school lessons, additional challenges are educational methods of the time- whip, stick, corn-kneeling, isolation, fear... Children cope differently with these challenges, which substantially influence their destinies.
Situation is especially complicated because of the fact that the teacher, in ceaseless fear of the inspection from the Ministry of education, hurries to impose discipline and knowledge at an accelerated procedure. That means- more beating.
Repeated forth-grader Momčilo (Pura Moca), trying to cover up a pretty misdemeanor and to avoid punishment, step-by-step almost reaches the Institute for juvenile offenders. Luckily and by intervention of the authority of Zmaj Jova, he avoids that destiny.
Beating is finally driven beyond the law.
One hundred and thirty years later, there is still a tendency in this society to cram an education by means of a whip, a smack or a shovel- that is the reason for making this movie.
New Dimension
3D: Classroom Rascals will be the first 3D film from Balkans.
Characters
Jovan Jovanović Zmaj is one of the best- known Serbian poets of the 19th century. He was a physician, publisher, political activist. His children poetry has entered the Serbian national consciousness and people sing them to their children even without knowing who wrote them.
Six main characters are taken from Zmaj Jova's poetry.
Four-graders are: Pura Moca, Seka Pela, Nespremna Ana, Ludi Tola, Lenji Gaša and Laza Materina Maza. They are to be played by the children that are to be casted through a demanding casting process.
Acting, singing and dancing abilities are required.
Teacher
In the role of the Teacher:
Branislav Lečić is one of the most famous theater and film actors in Serbia. Besides acting, he took part in political life being the leader of the Plush Revolution against the reign of Slobodan Milošević.
Later, he was Minister of culture in the Zoran Đinđić's government. He worked with more-or-less all relevant film directors: Emir Kusturica, Goran Marković, Miša Radivojević, Srđan Dragojević, Vladimir Blaževski, Darko Bajić, Saša Petrović...
Scriptwriter & Director
Boban Skerlić graduated film directing with a story Carrot, You Are Not Growing Properly from the omnibus Damn America. His movie Rage (Do koske) was the most popular movie in 1997, although it displayed a glum picture of Serbian society of the time. He directed a success theater play Classroom Rascals in Buha Theater in Belgrade.
Composer
Arsen Dedić is a Croatian singer- songwriter, musician and composer and an award- winning poet. He is mostly comparable to the French chanson genre. Throughout the decades Arsen Dedić became one of the most respected musicians in former Yugoslavia and maintained this reputation to this day.
Script- Scenario
Script is based on theater play Classroom Rascals which is successfully playing for three years now in Belgrade Buha Theater. Paly author is Ivana Dimić.
Ivana Dimić is a storyteller and playwright. She writes short stories, plays, TV scripts and translates from English and French. Books of stories: Black Greenery,Tobacco, Ink and Husband, Taking the Time, Anyone?, Inventory of Property.
Performed plays: In front of a Mirror (Atelje 212), Cinderella (Malo pozorište Duško Radović), Broke (Pozorište na Terazijama), Classroom Rascals (Boško Buha).
Her play White Corner has been published fot the first time in the Knjizevnost Magazine (Književnost 1-2/ 1998.). Currently holds the position of Head of Drama Department in National Theatre Belgrade.
Director's statement
1. Statistics
Sometimes I go to the parents’ meeting. I watch tender moms and caring dads. But statistics torment me. Well, statistics say that a few children from the class are exposed to smacking stamp and even to a different kind of abuse just by those caring and tender. (My imagination still cannot reach that far.)
So, I watch and it is really hard for me to believe that some of those present when the doors and curtain are closed, really whack their children. And maybe it comes to the exception, perhaps it is a happy class.
However, statistics do not fail. It means that children from a neighbouring class receive a double portion.
2. Task
The task of art is not to change the world. The task of art is an attempt to change
minds. I emphasize: the attempt.Therefore a dream. Change of mind should, in the
second step, by throwing a light on reality, change the world. It is, therefore, a shadow. Art is trying to change minds by targeting heart, navel and knees. It deliberately misses; jokes around. Because it is a game. Conclusion: Only the truly naive person could believe that playing with a shadow of a dream can change the world.
3. Policy
The statement of this film is that childhood and violence are mutually exclusive. There are no valid explanations or excuses. Conservative authoritarian models
of thought and action and their traditional mythology should be left in the mud of history. Children will, I believe, understand that policy. Who ever and when ever
underestimated the children, immediately misjudged. Particularly, for the reason that this game gives no answers, but raises some questions. For example, a question for the tender and caring: what do you do when you close the door and curtains?
PRODUCTION
ArtAkcija is a creative boutique of Boban Skerlic. It deals with TV program and formats. This film is the first movie of the company.
Co-Production companies:
Monte Royal Pictures was established in 1994. During this period, it produced five feature films (Between Heaven and Earth, Tragedy Burlesque, Rage, Dagger, Belgrade 011) and two series (Open Door and At Little Siren).
www.monteroyalpictures.com
A Atalanta film is independent film and television production company based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, established 1992. It is strongly connected with sister companies in ex-Yugoslavia. It was an active part of many features co-produced with Austria, Germany, UK, Sweden, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, that received a number of awards in international festivals.
www.aatalanta.si
Croatia Film is founded in 1946 as a film company for the distribution domestic and foreign films, and its activities expanded to the production of feature, documentary and commercial films. In Croatia film animation studio were made significant animated films for children and adults.
www.croatia-film.hr
Balkan film from Banja Luka, Bosnia, was established in 2008, and produced four feature films since. Those are: The Tour by Goran Markovic, Some other stories by Ana Marija Rossi, How I was stolen by Germans by Misa Radivojevic and The Enemy by Dejan Zecevic.
Smart studio is production company founded by Branislav Lečić. Studio is in charge of communication and cultural production of modern film technology. One of the primary goals is marketing and placement of the programs of historical importance for environment, as well as education and promotion of culture and art.