''Shadows over Balkan'' ( sr, Сенке над Балканом, Senke nad Balkanom), also known as ''Balkan Shadows'', is a
Serbian period
Period may refer to:
Common uses
* Era, a length or span of time
* Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Period (music), a concept in musical composition
* Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
created by
Dragan Bjelogrlić
Dragan Bjelogrlić "Bjela" ( sr, Драган Бјелогрлић, ; born 10 October 1963) is a Serbian actor, director and producer.
Career
Bjelogrlić made his acting debut as a 15-year old, playing Sava Jovanović Sirogojno in ''Boško Buha'' ...
. In addition to Bjelogrlić, contributors to the
screenplay
''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993.
Background
After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...
include Danica Pajović, Dejan Stojiljković and Vladimir Kecmanović. The screenplay is based on a story by Stevan Koprivica. The series is a co-production involving Cobra Film,
Radio Television of Serbia
Radio Television of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Радио-телевизија Србије, sr-Lat, Radio-televizija Srbije, italics=yes; abbr. RTS/PTC) is Serbia's public broadcaster. It broadcasts and produces news, drama, and sports programming thro ...
, Skopje Film Studio, Iskra,
Radio Television of the Republic of Srpska,
Macedonian Radio Television
Macedonian Radio Television (MRT; mk, Македонска радио-телевизија (МРТ), Makedonska radio-televizija (MRT)), officially National Radio-Television ( mk, Национална Радиотелевизија, Nacionalna ...
and The Film Agency of North Macedonia.
The series is set in the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
during the
Interwar period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...
and follows the story of two
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
police department
inspectors. The first season is set during the period just before the
6 January Dictatorship
The 6 January Dictatorship ( sr-cyr, Шестојануарска диктатура, Šestojanuarska diktatura; hr, Šestosiječanjska diktatura; sl, Šestojanuarska diktatura) was a royal dictatorship established in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croa ...
and follows attempts by the couple to solve a string of
sacrificial murders shaking Belgrade.
Dragan Bjelogrlić, Andrija Kuzmanović, Marija Bergam,
Goran Bogdan
Goran Bogdan (born 2 October 1980) is a Croatian actor. He has appeared in more than 40 films since 2005.
He has appeared in some American and English films and TV series such as the 2012 film ''Goltzius and the Pelican Company
''Goltzius a ...
,
Aleksandr Galibin
Alexander Vladimirovich Galibin (russian: Александр Владимирович Галибин, born 27 September 1955) is a Soviet and Russian actor noted for playing the Master in the miniseries ''The Master and Margarita'' (2005).
His a ...
,
Nenad Jezdić
Nenad Jezdić ( sr-cyr, Ненад Јездић; born 12 July 1972) is a Serbian actor. He appeared in more than fifty films since 1993.
Selected filmography
References
External links
*
1972 births
Living people
People from Valje ...
,
Gordan Kičić
Gordan Kičić ( sr-cyr, Гордан Кичић; born 5 August 1977) is a Serbian actor, comedian and director.
Acclaimed for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is prominent for his starring role in the acclaimed television series ''Balkan ...
,
Nebojša Dugalić
Nebojša Dugalić ( sr-cyr, Небојша Дугалић; , born 17 May 1970) is Serbian actor, theater director and drama professor.
Career
Dugalić completed the elementary and high school in his hometown Kraljevo, and graduated to the Facult ...
,
Branimir Brstina
Branimir Brstina ( sr-cyr, Бранимир Брстина; born 4 January 1960) is a Serbian actor.
References
External links
*
1960 births
Living people
People from Kikinda
Serbian male television actors
Serbian male film actors
Z ...
,
Srđan Todorović
Srđan "Žika" Todorović ( sr-cyr, Срђан "Жика" Тодоровић, ; born 28 March 1965) is a Serbian actor and musician. He has played in numerous bands, including Ekatarina Velika, Disciplina Kičme, Radnička Kontrola and Bezobraz ...
,
Dragan Petrović
Dragan Petrović (born 17 December 1961) is a Serbian actor. He has appeared in more than seventy films since 1978. He teaches at the University of Arts in Belgrade
The University of Arts in Belgrade ( sr-cyr, Универзитет уметно ...
,
Nikola Đuričko
Nikola Ðuričko ( sr-cyr, Никола Ђуричко; born 9 July 1974) is a Serbian actor.
Active in film, television, and in theater, his first notable role was in 1989, in the film ''Poslednji krug u Monci''.
In 1991, he played Djura in th ...
,
Bogdan Diklić
Bogdan Diklić ( sr-Cyrl, Богдан Диклић; born 1 August 1953) is a Serbian actor. He has been active since the late 1970s and starred in over one hundred Yugoslav films and television series. Diklić made ten films with director Goran ...
,
Voja Brajović,
and
Toni Mihajlovski
Toni Mihajlovski ( mk, Тони Михајловски; born 1 July 1967) is a Macedonian theater, motion picture and television actor, stand up comedian, presenter and showman.
Life
Mihajlovski was born in Kumanovo, Yugoslavia on the 1st of July ...
are in the lead roles. The first season ran from 22 October 2017 to 24 December 2017 on the
RTS1
RTS1 (Serbian Cyrillic: РТС1; First program of RTS ( sr, Први програм РТС-а/), First channel of RTS (/ ) or only First (/ )) is a Serbian public mainstream TV channel operated by RTS.
Previously on RTS1
Serbian TV series
*Ј ...
channel, as well as on many other television channels in the
former Yugoslav countries
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yugo ...
.
The filming of the first season took place between October 2016 and June 2017. The second was filmed during 2018, with all ten episodes airing on 8 November 2019. The first season was received very well by audience and critics alike, some controversy notwithstanding. The production, acting, editing and costume design have all received praise, as have the themes the series deals with.
Premise
The series is divided into three seasons and encompasses the period between 1928 and 1940.
The first season covers the period just before the assassination of the Croatian Member of the National Assembly
Stjepan Radić
Stjepan Radić (11 June 1871 – 8 August 1928) was a Croat politician and founder of the Croatian People's Peasant Party (HPSS), active in Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
He is credited with galvanizing Cro ...
at the
National Assembly of the Serbs, Croatians and Slovenians and the subsequent establishment of
the dictatorship.
The main setting for the series is
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
in between the two world wars. Lead characters are fifty-year-old police inspector Andra Tanasijević “Tane“ and his new associate, a young
forensic
Forensic science, also known as criminalistics, is the application of science to Criminal law, criminal and Civil law (legal system), civil laws, mainly—on the criminal side—during criminal investigation, as governed by the legal standard ...
by the name of Stanko Pletikosić. Belgrade is portrayed as a place where crime consists of classic
robberies
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...
and
murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
s, but whose biggest problems are wars between
opium
Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...
cartel
A cartel is a group of independent market participants who collude with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the market. Cartels are usually associations in the same sphere of business, and thus an alliance of rivals. Mos ...
s, which use the city as a route for
smuggling
Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.
There are various ...
the drug further into
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The plot of the first season starts with a peculiar and brutal murder occurring at a
costume ball
A costume party (American English) or fancy dress party (other varieties of English) is a type of party, common in contemporary Western culture, in which many of the guests are dressed in costume, usually depicting a fictional or stock char ...
at which most of the Belgrade
social elite
Elitism is the belief or notion that individuals who form an elite—a select group of people perceived as having an intrinsic quality, high intellect, wealth, power, notability, special skills, or experience—are more likely to be constructiv ...
is gathered.
Inspector Tanasijević soon discovers that the cause of the eerie events, which multiply by the day, is an
ancient relic: namely, the
Holy Lance
The Holy Lance, also known as the Lance of Longinus (named after Saint Longinus), the Spear of Destiny, or the Holy Spear, is the lance that pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross during his crucifixion.
Biblical references
The l ...
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
was pierced with on the
cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...
, which seems to possess mystical power.
The Inspector discovers there are people ready to do anything to acquire the Lance, and is sucked into a tangled web of crime involving a range of interest groups: the Russian
White army
The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв ...
under General
Vrangel
Vrangel (russian: Вра́нгель) was an types of inhabited localities in Russia, urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Primorsky Krai, Russia, located on east coast of Nakhodka Bay. Its foundation date is unknown.''Administrative-Te ...
, the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
Secret Police (
OGPU
The Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU; russian: Объединённое государственное политическое управление) was the intelligence and state security service and secret police of the Soviet Union f ...
and
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
), the Serbian
Black Hand
Black Hand or The Black Hand may refer to:
Extortionists and underground groups
* Black Hand (anarchism) (''La Mano Negra''), a presumed secret, anarchist organization based in the Andalusian region of Spain during the early 1880s
* Black Hand (e ...
movement,
IMRO
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
, the
Yugoslav communists
Yugoslav or Yugoslavian may refer to:
* Yugoslavia, or any of the three historic states carrying that name:
** Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a European monarchy which existed 1918–1945 (officially called "Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes" 1918–1 ...
, elements of the Belgrade underbelly and, not least, a
secret society
A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence a ...
going under the name of
Thule
Thule ( grc-gre, Θούλη, Thoúlē; la, Thūlē) is the most northerly location mentioned in ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek and Latin literature, Roman literature and cartography. Modern interpretations have included Orkney, Shet ...
.
Hot on the crime trail, the Inspector looks for the relic with one aim in mind: to transport it out of Belgrade and thereby prevent further deaths.
The series is set to run over three seasons. The first season consists of ten episodes and is set in the run-up to the
6 January dictatorship
The 6 January Dictatorship ( sr-cyr, Шестојануарска диктатура, Šestojanuarska diktatura; hr, Šestosiječanjska diktatura; sl, Šestojanuarska diktatura) was a royal dictatorship established in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croa ...
. The second season also has ten episodes, and deals with the period before the assassination of
King Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I ( sr-Cyrl, Александар I Карађорђевић, Aleksandar I Karađorđević, ) ( – 9 October 1934), also known as Alexander the Unifier, was the prince regent of the Kingdom of Serbia from 1914 and later the King of Yug ...
in Marseilles. The third season is due to be set just before start of
World War II in Yugoslavia
World War II in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia began on 6 April 1941, when the country was swiftly conquered by Axis forces and partitioned between Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and their client regimes. Shortly after Germany attacked the US ...
.
Cast
*
Dragan Bjelogrlić
Dragan Bjelogrlić "Bjela" ( sr, Драган Бјелогрлић, ; born 10 October 1963) is a Serbian actor, director and producer.
Career
Bjelogrlić made his acting debut as a 15-year old, playing Sava Jovanović Sirogojno in ''Boško Buha'' ...
as Andra Tanasijević "Tane", the
Great War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
veteran, turned police inspector, relies on his intuition and traditional police methods to solve the murders, his knowledge of the city and people mentality in combination with the more modern methods of younger Inspector Pletikosic bring success in solving the cases. Bjelogrlić was also the
producer
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
and
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''Di ...
of the series.
*
Andrija Kuzmanović as Inspector Stanko Pletikosić, a young forensic scientist, returning to
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
after studying in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, bringing modern methods and techniques that will help him during the investigation of a series of mysterious murders that are happening in the city. The role of Pletikosić was supposed to be played by
Miloš Biković
Miloš Biković ( sr-Cyrl, Милош Биковић, ; born January 13, 1988) is a Serbian actor and producer. His best known films are box office hits '' Serf'' and ''South Wind''.
He is also known for his roles in movies ''Sunstroke'' directe ...
, with whom Bjelogrlić already collaborated on ''
Montevideo, God Bless You!
''Montevideo, God Bless You!'' ( sr, Монтевидео, Бог те видео!, Montevideo, Bog te video!; internationally titled ''Montevideo, Taste of a Dream'') is a 2010 Serbian film directed by Dragan Bjelogrlić about the events leading t ...
'', but he gave up because of obligations he had in Russia.
*
Marija Bergam as Maja Davidović, wealthy owner of an influential bank, with a mysterious background and part of the Belgrade's High Society, associated with most of the victims of monstrous ritual killings and with the compromising controversy surrounding General Zivkovic.
*
Gordan Kičić
Gordan Kičić ( sr-cyr, Гордан Кичић; born 5 August 1977) is a Serbian actor, comedian and director.
Acclaimed for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is prominent for his starring role in the acclaimed television series ''Balkan ...
as Alimpije Mirić, an unscrupulous businessman, close to the authorities of the Kingdom, mysterious head of the Belgrade criminal underworld, known by the alias of "Kaluđer" (the Monk).
*
Nenad Jezdić
Nenad Jezdić ( sr-cyr, Ненад Јездић; born 12 July 1972) is a Serbian actor. He appeared in more than fifty films since 1993.
Selected filmography
References
External links
*
1972 births
Living people
People from Valje ...
as Krojač (the "Tailor"), the Great War veteran, turned criminal and leader of the infamous
Jatagan Mala
Jatagan Mala ( sr, Јатаган мала) is the former urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It existed from 1919 to 1961 and was located in the modern municipality of Savski Venac. Forgotten and unknown to the younger gene ...
gang, working for the Kaluđer's criminal organization in the first season.
*
Nebojsa Dugalić as
General Živković, head of the Yugoslav secret services, a gray eminence figure and one of the most powerful persons in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, at time.
*
as Gabriel Maht, a mysterious German nobleman and businessman, just arrived in Belgrade, secretly one of the high-ranked members of the "Thule" cult.
*
Branimir Brstina
Branimir Brstina ( sr-cyr, Бранимир Брстина; born 4 January 1960) is a Serbian actor.
References
External links
*
1960 births
Living people
People from Kikinda
Serbian male television actors
Serbian male film actors
Z ...
as Dimitrijević, senior Belgrade police department captain, unquestioningly subordinate to the authorities, between serving the law and serving the powerful, he chooses what is best for his survival in the office. Tanasijević's longtime superior and friend.
*
Dragan Petrović
Dragan Petrović (born 17 December 1961) is a Serbian actor. He has appeared in more than seventy films since 1978. He teaches at the University of Arts in Belgrade
The University of Arts in Belgrade ( sr-cyr, Универзитет уметно ...
, as dr. Konstantin Avakumović, a reputable Belgrade psychiatrist, with a mysterious and dark background, housband of Maja Davidović's friend Krista Avakumović.
*
Goran Bogdan
Goran Bogdan (born 2 October 1980) is a Croatian actor. He has appeared in more than 40 films since 2005.
He has appeared in some American and English films and TV series such as the 2012 film ''Goltzius and the Pelican Company
''Goltzius a ...
as
Mustafa Golubić
Mustafa Golubić ( sr-Cyrl, Мустафа Голубић, ; 24 October 1889/24 January 1891 – July 1941) was a Serbian, and later Yugoslav, guerrilla fighter, revolutionary and intelligence agent.
Following the outbreak of the Balkan Wa ...
, Bosnian-born Soviet assassin and communist revolutionary, the Great War veteran turned Soviet intelligence agent send to Belgrade, known as a "man with a hundred faces". Krista Avakumović's lover.
*
Aleksandr Galibin
Alexander Vladimirovich Galibin (russian: Александр Владимирович Галибин, born 27 September 1955) is a Soviet and Russian actor noted for playing the Master in the miniseries ''The Master and Margarita'' (2005).
His a ...
as
Pyotr Wrangel
Baron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel (russian: Пётр Никола́евич барон Вра́нгель, translit=Pëtr Nikoláevič Vrángel', p=ˈvranɡʲɪlʲ, german: Freiherr Peter Nikolaus von Wrangel; April 25, 1928), also known by his ni ...
, one of the
White Movement generals, exiled in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
with parts of his Army, backed by the Yugoslav authorities. Galibin remarked that he was delighted to play such an important historical figure: "It is such a precious thing to me to be playing such an important historical figure as general Wrangel was. I am particularly glad that we are filming in this church, where his body rests. That is especially touching."
*
Toni Mihajlovski
Toni Mihajlovski ( mk, Тони Михајловски; born 1 July 1967) is a Macedonian theater, motion picture and television actor, stand up comedian, presenter and showman.
Life
Mihajlovski was born in Kumanovo, Yugoslavia on the 1st of July ...
as Damjan Hadži Arsov, a fictitious leader of terrorist
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
(IMRO) and Tane's comrade from the
Great War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Dejan Stojiljković, who is one of the screenwriters, said that his character is not based on
Vanča Mihailov, but "has more similarities with the revolutionary
Dame Gruev
Damyan Yovanov Gruev (,The first names can also be transliterated as ''Damjan Jovanov'', after Bulgarian Дамян Йованов Груев and Macedonian Дамјан Јованов Груев. The last name is also sometimes rendered as ''Gr ...
".
*
Jana Stojanovska
Miss World 2007, the 57th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 1 December 2007 at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, China. It was hosted by Fernando Allende and Angela Chow. Zhang Zilin of China won the crown and succeeded Tať ...
as Jovana, a Macedonian revolutionary and Damjan Hadži Arsov's sister. Her character was based on
Mara Buneva, also the member of Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization.
*
Nikola Ristanovski
Nikola "Kole" Ristanovski (born 23 January 1969) is a Macedonian actor. He has appeared in more than twenty films since 1993.
Filmography Film
References
External links
*
1969 births
Living people
Macedonian male film actors
Mac ...
as Dr.
Archibald Reiss
Rodolphe Archibald Reiss (8 July 1875 – 7 August 1929) was a German–Swiss criminology-pioneer, forensic scientist, professor and writer.
Early life and studies
The Reiss family was in agriculture and winemaking. Archibald was the eighth o ...
, a Swiss forensic scientist and Stanko Pletikosić's mentor. In the series, he assists two inspectors in solving the mystery surrounding the Necklace and
Lance of Longinus.
*
Srđan Žika Todorović as Dr. Babić, pathologist, a grouchy medical examiner at the Belgrade police department, Tanasijević's longtime friend.
*
Jovana Stojiljković
Jovana Stojiljković (born 19 March 1992) is a Serbian stage and film actress. She is best known for her performance as ''Sofija'' in the TV series ''South Wind
A south wind is a wind that originates in the south and blows in a northward direc ...
as Bojana Antić, assistant medical examiner at the Belgrade police department, Pletikosić's love interests and lover of Mustafa Golubić. Member of the banned Communist Party.
*
Miloš Timotijević
Miloš Timotijević ( sr-Cyrl, Милош Тимотијевић; born 9 March 1975) is a Serbian actor. He has appeared in more than sixty films and TV series since 1995.
Miloš is best known for his roles in American war film ''In the Land of B ...
as Vojin Đukić, State prosecutor, Maja Davidović's lover, and housband of Violeta Đukić, the first victim of series of ritual murders in Belgrade.
*
Nikola Đuričko
Nikola Ðuričko ( sr-cyr, Никола Ђуричко; born 9 July 1974) is a Serbian actor.
Active in film, television, and in theater, his first notable role was in 1989, in the film ''Poslednji krug u Monci''.
In 1991, he played Djura in th ...
as Đolović, Colonel of the secret police, one of General Zivkovic's closest associates, ready for any deal, mixing personal and state interests.
*
Bojan Navojec
Bojan Navojec (born 26 April 1976) is a Croatian theatre and film actor.
Navojec was born in Bjelovar. He graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb
The Academy of Dramatic Art ( hr, Akademija dramske umjetnosti or ADU) i ...
as
Ante Pavelić
Ante Pavelić (; 14 July 1889 – 28 December 1959) was a Croatian politician who founded and headed the fascist ultranationalist organization known as the Ustaše in 1929 and served as dictator of the Independent State of Croatia ( hr, l ...
, controversial lawyer and Croatian nationalist leader, founding
Ustase, a fascist terrorist organization, planning assassination of King
Alexander of Yugoslavia, maintaining close cooperation with IMRO, as well with their benefactors in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
and in the
Fascist Italy.
*
Žarko Laušević
Žarko Laušević ( sr-cyr, Жарко Лаушевић; ) (born 19 January 1960) is a Serbian actor. He became a leading actor early in his career. By the age of 33, he was a major star across the former Yugoslavia on both stage and screen.
Ear ...
as
Đorđe P. Karađorđević, mentally unstable abdicated-Crown Prince, imprisoned in an isolated mental institution, headed by Avakumović, for which he blames his younger brother King Alexander I.
*
Radovan Vujović
Radovan Vujović (born 8 September 1984) is a Serbian actor, comedian and director.
After graduating Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade in 2005, he became a member of the Boško Buha Theatre. Since 2010, he works as a member of the Yugoslav D ...
as
Prince Paul the younger brother of King Alexander and a powerful political figure in the country. A passionate art collector, during the second series he manages construction of
Ivan Meštrović
Ivan Meštrović (; 15 August 1883 – 16 January 1962) was a Croatian sculptor, architect, and writer. He was the most prominent modern Croatian sculptor and a leading artistic personality in contemporary Zagreb. He studied at Pavle Bilinić's ...
's monumental
Monument to the Unknown Hero
The Monument to the Unknown Hero ( sr, Споменик Незнаном јунаку, Spomenik Neznanom junaku) is a World War I memorial located atop Mount Avala, south-east of Belgrade, Serbia, and designed by the sculptor Ivan Meštrović. Th ...
at
Mount Avala
Avala ( sr-cyr, Авала, ) is a mountain in Serbia, overlooking Belgrade. It is situated in the south-eastern corner of the city and provides a great panoramic view of Belgrade, Vojvodina and Šumadija, as the surrounding area on all sides is ...
. After the assassination of his brother, he becomes prince regent for his nephew.
*
Vlado Novák as
Anton Korošec
Anton Korošec (, ; 12 May 1872 – 14 December 1940) was a Yugoslav politician, a prominent member of the conservative People's Party, a Roman Catholic priest and a noted orator.
Early life
Korošec was born in Biserjane (then Duchy of Styr ...
, imprisoned former minister of internal affairs, in conflict with Belgrade authorities. The role was supposed to be played by
Jernej Šugman
Jernej Šugman (23 December 1968 – 10 December 2017) was a prominent Slovenian theater, television and film actor.
Biography
Šugman was born in Ljubljana, the son of actors Zlatko and Maja Šugman. Between 1988 and 1992, he studied acting a ...
, Slovenian actor who passed away in December 2017.
*
Bogdan Diklić
Bogdan Diklić ( sr-Cyrl, Богдан Диклић; born 1 August 1953) is a Serbian actor. He has been active since the late 1970s and starred in over one hundred Yugoslav films and television series. Diklić made ten films with director Goran ...
as Obrad Savković, an influential and powerful Nazi-backed magnate and owner of the "New era" pro-Axis political journal, pursues its agenda by resorting to intrigue and blackmail.
Episodes
Screenings
Pre-premiere in
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
was on 17 October 2017 at
Yugoslav Film Archive
The Yugoslav Film Archive ( sr, Југословенска кинотека / Jugoslovenska kinoteka) is a film archive located in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Founded in 1949, it is a founding member of the International Federation of Film Ar ...
. The series had a premiere in Serbia on
RTS
RTS may refer to:
Medicine
* Rape trauma syndrome, the psychological trauma experienced by a rape victim
* Revised Trauma Score, a system to evaluate injuries secondary to violent trauma
* Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome, a condition characterized by ...
on 12 October 2017 and had a time slot at 8 pm, which has long been the default time slot for all Serbian and Yugoslav TV series.
The first episode in Serbia was watched by more than 2.123.000 viewers and was the most watched media on that channel.
The premiere in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
was at the 23rd
Sarajevo Film Festival
The Sarajevo Film Festival is the premier and largest film festival in Southeast Europe, and is one of the largest film festivals in Europe. It was founded in Sarajevo in 1995 during the siege of Sarajevo in the Bosnian War, and brings internation ...
, where two episodes which received ovations were shown.
The first season was airing on
RTRS
Radio Television of Republika Srpska ( Serbian: ''Радио Телевизија Републике Српске'' / Radio Televizija Republike Srpske or RTRS) is the entity-level public broadcaster which operates radio and television services ...
. In
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
the series is aired on
RTCG 1, and in
Macedonia on
MRT 1
MRT 1 (МРТ 1) is a television station in North Macedonia owned and operated by Macedonian Radio-Television.
Current line-up News shows
*'' Dnevnik MRT'' - main news at 10:00, 17:00, 19:30, and 23:00
*''MRT Vesti'' - news, runs at 13:00, and ...
. The series debuted in Macedonia at the 38.
Manaki Brothers Film Festival
The International Cinematographers Film Festival "Manaki Brothers" (known short as Manaki Film Festival) is an annual international film festival organized by the Macedonian Film Professionals Association (MFPA). The festival is held in Bitola, ...
in
Bitola
Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki ...
on 25 September 2017, and Dragan Bjelogrlić, Tomi Salkovski (co-producer),
Igor Ivanov Izi
Igor "Izi" Ivanov ( mk, Игор "Изи" Иванов; born 3 April 1973) is a Macedonian film director and writer. He studied philosophy and began his film career in 1993, when he started directing series of films for television. Between 1995 a ...
(director on one of the episodes) as well as the actors Marija Bergam, Jana Stojanovska, Pero Arsovski and Petar Atanovski addressed the audience.
There was a great controversy in
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
n media for not airing the first season, and the reasons cited were that it was due to the character of
Ante Pavelić
Ante Pavelić (; 14 July 1889 – 28 December 1959) was a Croatian politician who founded and headed the fascist ultranationalist organization known as the Ustaše in 1929 and served as dictator of the Independent State of Croatia ( hr, l ...
and also that Dragan Bjelogrlić himself forbade it. Bjelogrlić dismissed these claims and said that the main reason for the series not airing in Croatia was because no channel acquired the rights to air.
Bjelogrlić gave 2019 as the year in which the second season will be airing. The name of the series was translated into English as "
Black Sun" in reference to the eponymous symbol frequently seen in the series, as well as the more literal "Balkan Shadows".
File:Senke nad Balkanom Pijaca.jpg, Set that served as a marketplace
A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...
in Baranda
Baranda (Serbian Cyrillic: Баранда) is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Opovo municipality, South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority (93.56%) and its population numbering 1,550 people.
The ...
near Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
.
File:Miloš Samolov i Dragan Bjelogrlić.jpg, Miloš Samolov
Miloš Samolov ( sr-cyr, Милош Самолов; born 31 March 1974) is a Serbian actor. He made his acting debut in the 2002 film '' Mala noćna muzika'' in 2002, and has since garnered notable lead and supporting roles in Serbian film, televi ...
(left) and Dragan Bjelogrlić
Dragan Bjelogrlić "Bjela" ( sr, Драган Бјелогрлић, ; born 10 October 1963) is a Serbian actor, director and producer.
Career
Bjelogrlić made his acting debut as a 15-year old, playing Sava Jovanović Sirogojno in ''Boško Buha'' ...
(right) on set of TV Series.
File:Dejan Stojiljković i Aleksandar Galibin - Senke nad Balkanom.jpg, Screenwriter Stojiljković, with Aleksandr Galibin
Alexander Vladimirovich Galibin (russian: Александр Владимирович Галибин, born 27 September 1955) is a Soviet and Russian actor noted for playing the Master in the miniseries ''The Master and Margarita'' (2005).
His a ...
on the set, hotel Moskva in Belgrade.
Slivnicki-Manastir-MKD.jpg, Slivnica Monastery in North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
, another series set location.
Production and inspiration
Dragan Bjelogrlić first got interested in the time period in which the series is set while filming the TV series as well as the movie version of
Montevideo, God Bless You!
''Montevideo, God Bless You!'' ( sr, Монтевидео, Бог те видео!, Montevideo, Bog te video!; internationally titled ''Montevideo, Taste of a Dream'') is a 2010 Serbian film directed by Dragan Bjelogrlić about the events leading t ...
He got interested in
this period because he knew very little of it and he also thought that the Serbian public in general isn't well informed about it: "Our destiny was such that we never learned much about that time period, it was almost never talked about. And those were important and in a way intense times, especially in Yugoslavia."
The fact that Yugoslavia was called "
Colombia of Europe" between the two Wars also served as an inspiration to him.
In his article for
Blic
''Blic'' (Cyrillic: Блиц, ) is a daily middle-market tabloid newspaper in Serbia. Founded in 1996, ''Blic'' is owned by Ringier Axel Springer Media AG, a joint venture between Ringier media corporation from Switzerland and Axel Springer AG ...
he wrote that he didn't want to compromise on any part of the show's creation: "Shadows over Balkan is a piece for which I tried to make no compromises. There were no compromises on any level and in any phase of the show's production. From the
screenplay
''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993.
Background
After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...
,
story
Story or stories may refer to:
Common uses
* Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events)
** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting
* Story (American English), or storey (British ...
,
theme
Theme or themes may refer to:
* Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work
* Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos
* Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...
s, national divisions,
aesthetics
Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed thr ...
, direction to the
budget
A budget is a calculation play, usually but not always financial, for a defined period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including time, costs and expenses, environmenta ...
and cost. I didn't want to concern myself with the acquired taste of the RTS audience,
ratings,
political correctness
''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...
,
puritan
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...
moral principles, conservative historians, "first" and "second Serbia", and the like..."
He seriously doubted in the success of the show, because "in aesthetic, dramaturgic and narrative aspects it was different than everything else he worked on in the past."
He was inspired by a number of
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
,
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
,
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
n and
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
an TV series, and as the main source of inspiration he cited
Boardwalk Empire
''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter and broadcast on the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and ...
.
He was also inspired by the connection between
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
and
corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
saying how "when he put some things in order, he came to the conclusion that there exists a historic constant which affects
this region, because it is of utmost importance that when you are working on a piece of art which deals with the past, it is important to focus on the moment from which you are doing it."
The filming of the first season took place between 1 October 2016 and end of July 2017. The series was shot on many different locations in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a new
film studio
A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...
was also built in
Baranda
Baranda (Serbian Cyrillic: Баранда) is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Opovo municipality, South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority (93.56%) and its population numbering 1,550 people.
The ...
.
It is here that the sets of the contemporary impoverished parts of Belgrade,
Jatagan Mala
Jatagan Mala ( sr, Јатаган мала) is the former urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It existed from 1919 to 1961 and was located in the modern municipality of Savski Venac. Forgotten and unknown to the younger gene ...
along with fictive
kafana
Kafana is a distinct type of local bistro (or tavern), common in former Yugoslav countries and Albania, which primarily serves alcoholic beverages and coffee, and often also light snacks (''meze'') and other food. Many kafanas feature live music ...
s named "Kod Nišliju" (''At Niški's'') and "Savsko bure" (''
Sava
The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
barrel''), Pištoljmala and
Savamala
Savamala ( sr-cyr, Савамала) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipalities of Savski Venac and Stari Grad.
Location
Savamala is located south of the Kalemegdan fortress and t ...
), as well as the richer part of the city with a
marketplace
A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...
,
candy shop
"Candy Shop" is the second single by rapper 50 Cent from his second commercial album, ''The Massacre'' (2005). It features Olivia and was written by 50 Cent.
"Candy Shop" peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming 50 Cent's t ...
, quilt shop, and a
barber shop were constructed. According to Bjelogrlić, 30% of the filming took place in Baranda.
Some particular scenes were shot on
Zrenjanin
Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; hu, Nagybecskerek; ro, Becicherecu Mare; sk, Zreňanin; german: Großbetschkerek) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Central Banat District in the autonomous pro ...
streets as well as in its
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
. Some scenes were supposed to be filmed in Slovenia as well, RTV Slovenija was in support of this, but it was later abandoned due to financial reasons.
Together with Bjelogrlić, the screenplay was worked on by screenwriters Danica Pajović, Dejan Stojiljković and Vladimir Kecmanović adapted to a film story by Stevan Koprivica.
Koprivica worked on some of the early episodes, and according to Danica Pajović, "the story was a
Conan-Doyle type mystical
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
about two inspectors who are working on resolving a series of sacrificial murders in Belgrade set between the two Wars. Bjelogrlić then expanded the theme to the Belgrade underbelly and
opium trade
Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid m ...
in Yugoslavia and convoluted the story to such an extent that Dejan Stojiljković and I had to join the screenwriters team, with Vladimir Kecmanović also joining us later."
According to his own words, this was the first time Dejan Stojiljković wrote a screenplay for a movie or a TV series.
Robert Pešut "Magnifico", with whom Bjelogrlić already collaborated on ''Montevideo '', worked on the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
for the series.
Ognjen "Ogi" Radivojević sang the song in the title sequence, and he was chosen by Magnifico and Bjelogrlić "because of his specific tone of voice and emotions which emerge from his vocal range."
Other notable musicians took part in series, such as
Nikola Pejaković
Nikola Pejaković ( sr-cyrl, Никола Пејаковић; born 1966, in Banja Luka) is a Serbian actor, screenwriter and musician. After finishing Secondary Art School he entered the Art Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, department of the ...
, Ksenija Kuljača etc.
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, id=6108262, title=Senke nad Balkanom
Official Twitter page
2010s crime television series
Serbian crime television series
2017 Serbian television series debuts
Fiction set in 1928
Fiction set in 1934
Television shows set in Belgrade
Works about the Serbian Mafia
Television shows filmed in Belgrade
Works about organized crime in Serbia
Radio Television of Serbia original programming