Zvonimir Berković (1 August 1928 – 9 June 2009) was a

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 film director and screenwriter. Berković had studied film directing at the Zagreb Academy of Drama Arts. His screenwriting career began in the mid-1950s, his most notable work being

Nikola Tanhofer Nikola Tanhofer (; 25 December 1926 – 24 November 1998) was a Croatian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. His first film as director, '' It Was Not in Vain'' was entered into the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.> ...

's 1958 film '' H-8'', for which he

co-authored Collaborative writing, or collabwriting is a method of group work that takes place in the workplace and in the classroom. Researchers expand the idea of collaborative writing beyond groups working together to complete a writing task. Collaboration ...

the screenplay with Tomislav Butorac. He had his directing debut with the 1962 documentary short ''My Flat'' (''Moj stan''), which offered an ironic portrayal of living standards in the socialist-style

prefabricated housing Prefabricated homes, often referred to as prefab homes or simply prefabs, are specialist dwelling types of prefabricated building, which are manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled. ...

projects. The film earned him a Special Jury Prize at the 1963

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

. His feature directing debut was the 1966 film ''

Rondo The rondo is an instrumental musical form introduced in the Classical period. Etymology The English word ''rondo'' comes from the Italian form of the French ''rondeau'', which means "a little round". Despite the common etymological root, rondo ...

'', which starred acclaimed Yugoslav actors

Relja Bašić Relja Bašić (14 February 1930 – 7 April 2017) was a Croatian actor. With a career that lasted more than half a century, he is considered one of the most prolific performers of that country. Biography Bašić was born on 14 February 1930 i ...

Milena Dravić Milena Dravić ( sr-Cyrl, Милена Дравић, ; 5 October 1940 – 14 October 2018) was a Yugoslav and Serbian film, television and theatre actress. Biography Born in Belgrade, Dravić became involved with performing arts at the age of fou ...

and Stevo Žigon, and which is today regarded as a classic of Yugoslav and Croatian cinema. After ''Rondo'', Berković directed a handful of films through the 1970s and 1980s and his only other notable work was the 1993 film '' Countess Dora'' (''Kontesa Dora''), which portrayed an episode in the life of 19th-century Croatian composer

Dora Pejačević Countess Maria Theodora Paulina (Dora) Pejačević ( hu, Gróf verőczei Pejácsevich Mária Theodóra Paulina "Dóra", link=no, 10 September 1885 – 5 March 1923) was a Croatian composer and a member of the Pejačević noble family. She wa ...

and which starred

Alma Prica Alma Prica (born 17 September 1962) is a Croatian actress. She graduated from the Zagreb Academy of Drama Arts in 1985 and then joined the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb (HNK Zagreb) in 1986. Although primarily a theatre actress, she also a ...

and

Rade Šerbedžija Rade Šerbedžija ( sr-Cyrl, Раде Шербеџија, ; born 27 July 1946) is a Croatian actor, director and musician. He is known for his portrayals of imposing figures on both sides of the law. He was one of the best known Yugoslav actors i ...

. The film won the

Big Golden Arena for Best Film The Golden Arena awards were established in 1955 as the Yugoslav national film awards presented annually at the Pula Film Festival in Pula, Croatia, with the Big Golden Arena for Best Film its main prize. From 1955 to 1990 the awards were the Yu ...

at the 1993

Pula Film Festival Pula Film Festival ( hr, Pulski filmski festival) is an annual Croatian film festival, established in 1954. It is held in a Roman amphitheater known as the Pula Arena. Pula Film Festival is the oldest Croatian film festival and is usually held ...

. In the 1990s Berković stopped making films and turned to teaching at the Zagreb Academy of Drama Arts, and was also a notable columnist writing music, theatre and film reviews for ''

Globus Globus is Latin for ''sphere'' or ''globe''. It may also refer to: Business * Globus Medical, a medical device company in Audubon, PA * Globus (clothing retailer), an Indian clothing retail store * Globus (company), a Swiss department store c ...

'', a popular current affairs weekly. He was also a longtime head of dramaturgy at the Zagreb-based film production company

Jadran Film Jadran Film is a film production studio and distribution company founded in 1946 in Zagreb, Croatia. In the period between the early 1960s and late 1980s Jadran Film was one of the biggest and most notable film studios in Central Europe, with some ...

Filmography

* ''

'' (1966) * '' The Scene of the Crash'' (''Putovanje na mjesto nesreće'', 1971) * '' Love Letters with Intent'' (''Ljubavna pisma s predumišljajem'', 1985) * '' Countess Dora'' (''Kontesa Dora'', 1993)

References

External links

*
Zvonimir Berković
at Allmovie
Zvonimir Berković biography
at Filmski-Programi.hr
Nikad ispričana priča Zvonimira Berkovića
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berkovic, Zvonimir 1928 births 2009 deaths Film people from Belgrade Croatian film directors Croatian screenwriters Croatian columnists Golden Arena winners Vladimir Nazor Award winners Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb alumni Academic staff of the University of Zagreb Yugoslav film directors 20th-century screenwriters Croats of Serbia