Violated sex: rape, nation and representation of female characters in Yugoslav new film and black wave cinema

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to reveal how women are represented in the Yugoslav New Film and Black Wave films. I argue that they show a recurring pattern of rape. I interpret a raped woman in Yugoslav films as an allegory of a raped nation. To investigate this motif, I have selected three fiction films, all addressing a short pro-Stalinist phase of Yugoslav history: Lisice/Handcuffs (Krsto Papić 1969), Uloga moje porodice u svjetskoj revoluciji/The Role of my Family in the World Revolution (Bahrudin ‘Bato’ Čengić, 1971), and Doručak sa đavolom/Breakfast with the Devil (Miroslav ‘Mika’ Antić, 1971). In my investigation I will draw on feminist film scholarship as the conceptual framework. Furthermore, I use close reading as the method to explore the movement's oeuvre.

KEYWORDS:

• Rape
• woman
• nation
• representation
• Yugoslav New Film
• Black Wave Cinema

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my academic advisor Prof. Dr Philippe Meers for his selfless help with my research and this article. Also, I would like to express my gratitude to Chernelle Lambert-Sebrechts, Ryan Pescatore Frisk, Iva Jurišković, Sam Roggen, Eva Theunissen and Julie Rausenberger. Lastly, I am indebted to the editor Dr Ewa Mazierska and peer reviewers, whose constructive comments propelled this article towards publication.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. This rough estimation excludes 17 Yugoslavian films produced between 1961 and 1972 that I was unfortunately not able to find.

2. I put Projansky's ‘more than fifty’ as 55 films when I roughly calculated the percentage.

3. All translations from Serbo-Croatian are my own.

4. Stern.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The University of Antwerp Research Fund [DOCPRO1 BOF].

Notes on contributors

Vesi Vuković

Vesi Vuković is currently a PhD candidate in Film Studies at University of Antwerp, Belgium, under the precious guidance of professor Philippe Meers. She is a member of ViDi (Visual and Digital Cultures Research Center) at University of Antwerp and attained her master of arts at Kyoto University of Arts and Design, Japan, where mentored by Japanese filmmakers Ito Takashi and Kaizo Hayashi. She obtained bachelor of arts at Academy of Arts Banja Luka, where she specialized in directing. Currently researches ex-Yugoslavian cinema and the representation of women in it.