Danilo Stojković ( sr-cyr, Данило Стојковић; 11 August 1934 – 16 March 2002), commonly nicknamed Bata (Бата), was a

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...

n theatre, television and film

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

. Stojković's numerous comedic portrayals of the "small man fighting the system" made him popular with Serbian and

ex-Yugoslav 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 Yug ...

audiences, most of them coming in collaborations with either director Slobodan Šijan or scriptwriter Dušan Kovačević, or both.

Early career

Stojković was born in Belgrade in 1934. By the mid-1960s, he became a well-known

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

actor. He started his

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

career with the 1964 feature ''Izdajnik'' (lit. "The Traitor"). A string of TV and minor film roles ensued, with the most important ones coming in guise of being a father figure to the main protagonist – ''Čuvar plaže u zimskom periodu'' (''Beach Guard in Winter'', 1976), ''Pas koji je voleo vozove'' (''The Dog Who Loved Trains'', 1977) being the most recognizable ones – as well as the part in critically well-received ''Majstor i Margarita'' (''Il Maestro e Margherita''), 1972. He also fulfilled the fatherly role in an immensely popular TV show '' Grlom u jagode''. The show originally aired in 1975 and kept finding its audience through numerous reruns in the 1980s and the 1990s. Most notably, he almost stole the show as the minor

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, ri ...

in Goran Marković's urban classic ''Nacionalna klasa do 750 cm³'' (''National Class Category Up to 750 ccm''), 1979.

The breakthrough

Stojković worked with the director Slobodan Šijan, who was in turn most successful when working with Dušan Kovačević scripts. Kovačević, a talented

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

with a special gift for biting

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...

, had a knack for writing characters which Stojković could perfectly translate to screen. The combination of those three creative talents yielded some of Yugoslavia's most memorable cinematic efforts to date. Šijan, who previously worked with Stojković on several TV productions, made his

big screen A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

debut with '' Ko to tamo peva'' (''Who's Singing Over There?'', 1980), a farcical

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

set at the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

in then

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...

. In a strong cast ensemble, Stojković distinguished himself with role of a Germanophile bus passenger on the way to Beograd in the eve of 6 April 1941 – the day Belgrade was bombed by the

Axis Powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

marking Yugoslavia's entry into the war. ''Ko to tamo peva'' was released to great critical and commercial success, and has won two awards at the Montreal World Film Festival in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. The success of ''Ko to tamo peva'' opened new doors for Stojković, who then established his film star status with a string of critically acclaimed roles. He appeared in Goran Paskaljević's

dark comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

about rehab from

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

, ''Poseban tretman'' ('' Special Treatment''), 1980. He reunited with Šijan for another high-water mark of Serbian film, the

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to disc ...

'' Maratonci trče počasni krug'' (''Marathon Family''). The film, a humorous piece about a family whose undertaking business is being threatened by the local

mobster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...

was another smash success for Šijan and Stojković, and has

cult status A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

. He also voiced

Stromboli Stromboli ( , ; scn, Struògnuli ) is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily, containing Mount Stromboli, one of the four active volcanoes in Italy. It is one of the eight Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Si ...

in the Serbian-language version of ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...

''.

Marxists, spies and revolutionaries

After a couple minor roles, from which his turn as the school principal in comedy ''Idemo dalje'' (lit. ''Moving On'', 1982) deserved some mention, Stojković delivered a trio of performances which would ultimately cement his place in the Yugoslavian acting hall of fame. Oddly enough, all three of those roles would involve him portraying a character closely related to the

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...

ideals – or better said, satirizing a stereotype of "party men" or "

marxist Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialecti ...

revolutionaries". First was his portrait of a

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

wannabe revolutionary Babi Pupuška, in Šijan's ''Kako sam sistematski uništen od idiota'' (''How I Got Systematically Destroyed by an Idiot'', (1983), a story about a man who embarks on a soul-searching journey after hearing the, for him at least, shattering news of

Che Guevara Ernesto Che Guevara (; 14 June 1928The date of birth recorded on /upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Ernesto_Guevara_Acta_de_Nacimiento.jpg his birth certificatewas 14 June 1928, although one tertiary source, (Julia Constenla, quoted ...

's demise. Building momentum from this film onward, Stojković fused his father figure persona he honed in the 1970s with the

Marxist Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialecti ...

nut of Babi Pupuška, and delivered another bravura performance in Goran Paskaljević's elegiac '' Varljivo leto '68'' (''The Elusive Summer of '68'', 1984). Stojković's character of a hardline Marxist father, who cannot bear to witness the events of the 1968 unfold before his very own eyes, struck a chord with audiences. Again uniting his talents with those of Dušan Kovačević, Stojković delivered his ultimate film performance – that of the staunch

Stalinist Stalinism is the means of governing and Marxist-Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953 by Joseph Stalin. It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory ...

and a full-time paranoid in '' Balkanski špijun'' (''Balkan Spy'', 1984), which was jointly directed by Božidar Nikolić and Kovačević himself. With Kovačević at his sharpest, Stojković made the role of ex-political prisoner Ilija Čvorović completely his own. Critics often single out this role as Stojković's most notable.

Late years and death

His role in ''Balkanski špijun'' was one of the last major theatrical roles for Stojković. After his major successes of the early 1980s, Stojković concentrated mainly on television and theatre, with an odd supporting role here and there. He was effective in both ''Vreme čuda'' (lit. ''Time of the Miracles'', 1989) and '' Sabirni centar'' (''The Collective Center''), and had a memorable cameo in '' Balkan Express 2'' (1989). His most famous theatrical role was that of Luka Laban, in another Kovačević play, '' Profesionalac'' (lit. "The Professional"). He played the role until a few days before his death. In an interview in 2007 his wife told that she drove him from the hospital to his last plays and returned him to the hospital bed after the play. In the 1990s, Stojković cameoed in '' Crni bombarder'' (''The Black Bomber'', 1992), and had minor roles in movies such as

Emir Kusturica Emir Kusturica ( sr-cyrl, Емир Кустурица; born 24 November 1954) is a Serbian film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and musician. He also has French citizenship.http://www.serbia.com/emir-kusturica-artist-builder-and-anti-glo ...

's '' Underground'' (1995) and

Darko Bajić Darko Bajić (born on 14 May 1955) is a Serbian film director. He directed many movies and TV series popular with Serbian audience such as War Live, The Black Bomber, Sivi dom and Zaboravljeni. Filmography * Sivi dom (1985), TV series * Zabor ...

's ''Balkanska pravila'' (''The Rules of Balkan'', 1997). Ironically enough, one of his final theatrical roles was one of an orthodox priest – a character who Babi Pupuška and Ilija Čvorović would probably despise – in

Lazar Ristovski Lazar "Laza" Ristovski ( sr-Cyrl, Лазар Ристовски, born 26 October 1952) is a Serbian retired actor, director, producer and writer. He has appeared on stage about 4,000 times, and starred in over 40 films, TV series and TV dramas, ...

's 1999 effort ''Belo odelo'' ("The White Suit"). After that, he appeared in an omnibus feature called ''Proputovanje'' (''Traveling'', 1999) and starred in a TV adaptation of the

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

's play '' The Father'' for Radio-televizija Srbije – RTS (''Otac'', 2001). Stojković died in Belgrade on 16 March 2002, after a lengthy bout with

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...

Awards and legacy

Throughout his lifetime, Stojković was the recipient of the Serbian

Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...

for both theatrical (''

Dobričin prsten The Dobričin prsten award ( sr-Cyrl, Добричин прстен) is the life-achievement award for theatrical acting, considered the most distinguished one in the Serbian theater. The name of the award (''Ring of Dobrica'') refers to the gol ...

'', 1990) and cinematic (''

Pavle Vujisić Pavle (Macedonian and sr-cyr, Павле; ka, პავლე) is a Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian and Georgian male given name corresponding to English Paul; the name is of biblical origin (cf. Saint Paul). People known mononymously as Pavle incl ...

'', 1998) efforts. He remains as popular in death as he was in life, as his characters have entertained numerous generations of

Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian () – also called Serbo-Croat (), Serbo-Croat-Bosnian (SCB), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), and Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS) – is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia an ...

speakers.

Selected filmography

* '' Čovek iz hrastove šume'' (1964) - Stevan * '' Izdajnik'' (1964) * '' Čovek nije tica'' (1965) * '' Roj'' (1966) - Nikola * '' Vreme ljubavi'' (1966) - Ratko (segment "Put") * ''Volite se ljudi'' (1967, TV Series) * '' Jutro'' (1967) - Vojnik * ''Krug dvojkom'' (1967, TV Series) * '' Bokseri idu u raj'' (1967) - Professor * ''Stara koka, dobra juha'' (1967, TV Movie) * ''Ove žene posle rata'' (1967, TV Movie) * '' U raskoraku'' (1968) - Postar * ''Gorski car'' (1968, TV Series) * ''Bekstvo'' (1968, TV Movie) - Tihi * ''Delije'' (1968) - Gvozden * ''Kod Londona'' (1968, TV Series) * ''Ljubitelj golubova'' (1968, TV Movie) * ''Sezona poljubaca'' (1968, TV Movie) * ''Sajam na svoj način'' (1968, TV Movie) * ''Pre istine'' (1968) - Vodja bande * '' Ima ljubavi, nema ljubavi'' (1968) * ''Samci 2'' (1969, TV Series) * ''Rađanje radnog naroda'' (1969) - Bangeja Kukuljevic * '' Zazidani'' (1969) - Strazar Gavrilo * '' Pucanj u glavu'' (1969, Short) * ''Kako je lagao njenog muža'' (1969, TV Short) * '' Vrane'' (1969) * '' Lilika'' (1970) - Poocim - Father * ''Engleski onakav kakav se govori'' (1970, TV Short) * '' Rekvijem'' (1970) - Skretnicar * '' Prirodna granica'' (1970) - Major * '' Burduš'' (1970) - Reditelj * ''S vanglom u svet'' (1971, TV Series) * ''Ceo život za godinu dana'' (1971, TV Series) - Sveta Bajic * '' Uloga moje porodice u svjetskoj revoluciji'' (1971) - Strogi * ''Mlad i zdrav kao ruza'' (1971) * '' Bubašinter'' (1971) - Zivan Gasic * '' Diplomci'' (1971, TV Series) - Dusan Bubuleja * ''Haleluja'' (1971, TV Movie) * ''Čep koji ne propušta vodu'' (1971, TV Short) - Milicioner * '' Bez naziva'' (1971, TV Short) * ''Uniforme'' (1971, TV Mini-Series) * ''Obraz uz obraz'' (1972, TV Series) - Bata * '' Majstor i Margarita'' (1972) - Bobov * ''Deveto cudo na istoku'' (1972) * ''Razvojni put Bore Šnajdera'' (1972, TV Movie) - Selimir * ''Derviš i smrt'' (1972, TV Movie) - Vezirov defterdar * ''Ćelava pevačica'' (1972, TV Movie) - Vatrogasni kapetan * ''Kužiš stari moj'' (1973) - Pekar * ''Operacija 30 slova'' (1973, TV Series) * ''Bombardovanje Nju Hejvna'' (1973, TV Movie) - Major * ''Naše priredbe'' (1973, TV Series) * '' Pjegava djevojka'' (1973) * ''Putnik'' (1973, TV Short) - Mali * ''Policajci'' (1973, TV Movie) * ''Beograd ili tramvaj a na prednja vrata'' (1973, TV Movie) * ''Dimitrije Tucović'' (1974, TV Series) - Dragisa Lapcevic * '' Pred zoru'' (1974, Short) * ''Oglas'' (1974, TV Movie) - Milan Pavlovic * '' Pavle Pavlović'' (1975) - Pavlov bivsi kolega * '' Zimovanje u Jakobsfeldu'' (1975) - Damjan * '' Testament'' (1975) * '' Kičma'' (1975) - Covek iz kafane * ''Borisko i Natalija'' (1975, TV Short) * '' Vagon li'' (1976) - I putnik * '' Salaš u Malom Ritu'' (1976) - Damjan * ''Zvezdana prašina'' (1976, TV Movie) - Kum * '' Čuvar plaže u zimskom periodu'' (1976) - Milovan Pasanovic - Draganov otac * '' Salaš u Malom Ritu'' (1976, TV Series) - Damjan * '' Grlom u jagode'' (1976, TV Series) - Banetov otac Sreten * ''Vlajkova tajna'' (1976, TV Movie) - Bata * '' Hajdučka vremena'' (1977) - Narednik Munizaba * ''Nikola Tesla'' (1977, TV Series) - George Westinghouse * '' Pas koji je voleo vozove'' (1977) - Otac * ''Marija Magdalena'' (1977, TV Movie) - Majstor Anton ... stolar * ''67. sastanak Skupštine Kneževine Srbije'' (1977, TV Movie) - Nikola Krupezevic * '' Nije nego'' (1978) - Budic - Buda Filadelfija * '' Pogled u noć'' (1978) - Dezurni ljekar (segment "Koma") * '' Tamo i natrag'' (1978) * '' Povratak otpisanih'' (1978, TV Series) - Prletov otac Steva * ''Siroče'' (1978, TV Movie) * '' Nacionalna klasa'' (1979) - Cabor * '' Srećna porodica'' (1979, TV Mini-Series) * ''Srećna porodica'' (1979) - Poslovodja * ''Prva Srpska železnica'' (1979, TV Movie) - Marko Bogdanovic * '' Kost od mamuta'' (1979, TV Movie) - Dusanov otac * '' Gradilište'' (1979, TV Movie) - Sofer kamiona * '' Poseban tretman'' (1980) - Steva * ''Pripovedanja Radoja Domanovića'' (1980, TV Series) - Cica Ilija Stanojevic / Disko * '' Ko to tamo peva'' (1980) - Brka * ''Proleće života'' (1981, TV Movie) * ''Sijamci'' (1981, TV Mini-Series) - Djura Mitrovic * '' Idemo dalje'' (1982) - Bozur * '' Maratonci trče počasni krug'' (1982) - Laki Topalovic * '' 13. jul'' (1982) - Poslanik * ''Kante ili kese'' (1982, TV Movie) - Drug Kacavenda * '' Čovek sa četiri noge'' (1983) - Fotoreporter * '' Kako sam sistematski uništen od idiota'' (1983) - Babi Papuska * ''Korespondencija'' (1983, TV Movie) - Simeon Njegovan Lupus, deda * '' Čudo neviđeno'' (1984) - Gazda Scepan * '' Varljivo leto '68'' (1984) - Veselin / Petar's otac-father * '' Balkanski špijun'' (1984) - Ilija Cvorovic * ''Jalta'' (1984, TV Movie) - Staline * ''Naš učitelj četvrtog razreda'' (1985, TV Movie) - Ucitelj * '' Držanje za vazduh'' (1985) - Upravnik doma * ''Priče iz fabrike'' (1985, TV Series) - Djura Bosnjakovic 'Tambura' * ''Provincija u pozadini'' (1985) * ''Štrajk u tkaonici ćilima'' (1986, TV Movie) * ''Svečana obaveza'' (1986, TV Movie) - Stevan * ''Ne znate vi Martina'' (1987, TV Movie) * ''Milan – Dar'' (1987, TV Movie) - Dr. Milan Savic ... lekar * ''Iznenadna i prerana smrt pukovnika K. K.'' (1987, Short) - Major * '' Balkan ekspres 2'' (1989) - Mida * '' Atoski vrtovi - preobraženje'' (1989) - Arkadije * '' Sabirni centar'' (1989) - Simeun * ''Balkan ekspres 2'' (1989, TV Series) - Mida Baba * '' Vreme čuda'' (1989) - Jovan * ''Vreme čuda'' (1989, TV Mini-Series) - Jovan * ''Sile u vazduhu'' (1989, TV Movie) - Tosa * '' Poslednji krug u Monci'' (1989) - Dobrivoje * ''Osmi dan u nedelji'' (1989, TV Movie) - Marko ... Nikolin kum * ''Čudo u Šarganu'' (1989, TV Movie) * '' Seks - partijski neprijatelj br. 1'' (1990) - Gvozden * ''Profesionalac'' (1990, TV Movie) - Luka Laban * ''Klaustrofobična komedija'' (1990, TV Movie) - Sava odzacar * ''

Mala Mala may refer to: Comics * Mala (Amazon), an Amazon from Wonder Woman's side of the DC Universe * Mala (Kryptonian), a villain from Superman's corner of the DC Universe Films and television * ''Mala'' (1941 film), a Bollywood drama film * , ...

'' (1991) - Svestenik * ''Zaboravljeni'' (1991, TV Series) - Adamov tast * '' Video jela, zelen bor'' (1991, TV Movie) - Milovan * '' Crni bombarder'' (1992) - Predsednik * '' Tri karte za Holivud'' (1993) - Ratni veteran * '' Kaži zašto me ostavi'' (1993) - Teca * '' Terasa na krovu'' (1995) - Dragutin ... 'Sova' * '' Underground'' (1995) - Deda * '' Urnebesna tragedija'' (1995) - Vasilije * '' Ubistvo s predumišljajem'' (1995) - Stavra Arandjelovic * '' Bila jednom jedna zemlja'' (1996, TV Mini-Series) - Deda * ''Gore dole'' (1996-1997, TV Series) - Avram Jaksic * '' Balkanska pravila'' (1997) - Sajdzija * ''

Rane Rane or Ranes may refer to: Geography *Råne River, Sweden *Rânes, a commune in the Orne department in northwestern France * Ráneš, a large island in Troms county, Norway People Indians *Rane (clan), an Indian Maratha clan ** Prachi Rane ...

'' (1998) - Komsija * '' Bure baruta'' (1998) - Viktor, Alex's Father * '' Belo odelo'' (1999) - Priest * '' U ime oca i sina'' (1999) - Mrgud Miletic * '' Proputovanje'' (1999) - Stojan (segment "Srebrni metak") * '' Đeneral Milan Nedić'' (1999, TV Movie) - Milan Nedic * '' Otac'' (2001, TV Movie) - Kapetan Albert (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stojkovic, Danilo Bata 1934 births 2002 deaths Male actors from Belgrade 20th-century Serbian male actors Golden Arena winners 21st-century Serbian male actors Serbian male film actors Serbian male stage actors Serbian male television actors Serbian male voice actors Laureates of the Ring of Dobrica Deaths from lung cancer Deaths from cancer in Serbia Burials at Belgrade New Cemetery