YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. It is pleasant for World-known director and musician Emir Kusturica to be in a country with which his compatriots have similarities. The prominent director told about the aforesaid during the interview with media.

“Though there is a great difference: You Armenians are united, you are known as people passed through Genocide, you have a state, which is a collective response to all this. Serbs have another history. The Serbs were subjected to regular attacks, subjected to unspeakable genocide, but Serbs do not act united and we are presented as criminals instead of introduced as victims,” Emir Kusturica mentioned, as “Armenpress” reports.

The prominent director gets a big pleasure when visiting Armenia. 800 thousand Serbs were slaughtered during World War II, books and papers about it exist, but it has not officially happened for Europe. And those who know ignore it as a fact. I enjoy coming here not only what I see, but I enjoy your way; everything is indubious in your country. When I was in Turkey, I was attacked, and told that my stay was not welcomed there taking into account my position on Serbs. My answer was that they do not necessarily have to express concerns about the Genocide as they killed million of Armenians during the First World War. When I went there, a director, who looked like me, was beaten. Conclusion: If you make movies, one must not look like me,” the director mentioned half joking or half serious.

Emir Kusturica accepted orthodoxy under the name Nemanja in 2005. “My family was partially converted to Islam but it remained partially professing orthodoxy. Nobody in my family practically professed Islam. I was not converted, I was just baptized. I believe that God rises from the culture. My prediction is that we Christians stand on the verge of extinction. When I was baptized, Christianity had no good days. But as I believed in culture, I believed in God,” he emphasized.

Asked what the prominent director would wish in New Year, Kusturica mentioned: “I would not ask coca-cola from Santa. I would ask something supernatural: to keep the world away from War. And I would wish Santa to grant Maradona with a job.”

Kusturica informed he is currently working on “On the Milky Road” movie. Monica Bellucci is staring in the movie.

Kusturica will also visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial to pay tribute to the victims of the Genocide as well as will visit the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.

The concert of Emir Kusturica and “The No Smoking Orchestra” folk-rock group will take place on December 25, in Sports/Concert Complex after Karen Demirchyan. The concert will held at the Armenian Ministry of Culture and supported by the coordination committee of the Armenian Genocide commemoration events.

Emir Nemanja Kusturica (born 24 November 1954 in Sarajevo) is a Serbian filmmaker, actor and musician of Bosnian origin. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative filmmakers of his generation, Emir Kusturica twice won the Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or. He is also a recipient of the FrenchOrdre des Arts et des Lettres. In addition to walking in film Kusturica is known for being a member of “The No Smoking Orchestra” folk-rock group. Emir Kusturica managed to visit Armenia. He was a guest of “Golden Apricot” international festival.

Coverage of “Armenpress” on prominent director can be found here.