YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The genius of Balkan cinematography or the member of “The No Smoking Orchestra” Emir Kusturica is in Armenia. The concert of Kusturica and “The No Smoking Orchestra” folk-rock band will be held at Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex, Armenia on December 25. “Armenpress” introduces interesting facts about the famous intellectual and his activities.

“Every time I'm shooting a movie I want to kill myself. Because I don't see the light in the end of the tunnel.” Emir Kusturica

 Kusturica was born in Sarajevo, on November 24, 1954. Sarajevo was the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina at that time. His parents were Muslims, but as Kusturica claims, his ancestors were Orthodox Serbs. 

Kusturica left Sarajevo, aged 18. He entered the film school (FAMU) at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He created first films during the years of study at the academy.

“I'm fed up with democracy. In a democracy, people vote for the mayors. I wanted to build a city where I will choose the citizens.”Emir Kusturica

Returning to Sarajevo, Kusturica creates Movies for local television, then he starts filmmaking.

Some of his famous films include “Buffet Titanic”, “Do You Remember Dolly Bell?”, “When Father Was Away on Business”, “Time of the Gypsies” etc.

Kusturica started teaching at Columbia University's Graduate Film Division. The Bosnian War started in 1992; the filmmaker’s father died of a heart attack. Kusturica returned to Yugoslavia to work on his new film “Underground”.

Kusturica is married. He and his wife are the founders and owners of Rasta Films company. All the films by Kusturica are produced there. His son is also a member of “The No Smoking Orchestra” band created by Kusturica.

I used to imagine an exotic country, every time I heard the word Armenia, but now, visiting this country,  I see more than exotism. Serbs are also close to the gates of Europe in an unfavorable place, just like Armenia in this region. Moreover, we had the same enemy. Emir Kusturica  

The famous filmmaker visited Armenia in 2010. He met with the Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan, gave a concert, visited the Sergei Parajanov Museum, honored the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide at Tsitsernakaberd.  Emir Kusturica emphasized that he highly appreciates Parajanov’s films as they are one of the best films of cinematography.