In the scope of the Lifetime Achievement Award programme three Vladimir Petrić's films will be featured:

“The Wall of Memories”
"Tribute to Mholy Nagi"
“Fatal Thirst”

Vladimir Petrić – this year prize-winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award
IN FRONT OF THE WALL OF MEMORIES

Vladimir Petrić is the 21 st winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, prestigious acknowledgement that this Festival traditionally awards to filmmakers.

Vlada Petrić has found his place among the best in this ramshackle world of documentary and short film working heartily and thoroughly for many years in film business; exactly with his “doing business” with the film, in hands and in head, and with the art as the final destination (as in tourism, i.e., fateful orientation), Vlada Petrić indebted the filmmakers' breed and now, maybe even in multiple way, his admirers and experts in his work pay him back with this Prize. Was it possible to follow continually the work of Vlada Petrić?

This year laureate is a comprehensive person, specially attached to film, closely concentrated on numerous art aspects: Creator of great curiosity. He has created the great work and behind him there are almost 55 years of continuous work! Many interests for volatile nature of art, for the character and essence of film, for direct work “in practice”, for projects on the future or the past of film, for its authenticity and originality... are reflected in the work of Vlada Petrić.

It can be stated in this order or by choice:
Theatre (“Joakim Vujić Theatre” stage production, Atelje 212, and the book of the same title and theme);
Film (books: “Magic Screen”, “Introduction to Film”, “Development of the Film Types” – efore leaving for the Harvard University, USA);
Television and “media” (TV plays directing – at first “live”, meaning: today nonexistent! The book of theoretical texts “Television – The Eight Power”);
Film , again, with “specialties”:
history of film, theory of film, journalist and essayist works, scientific approach to film, pedagogical work originating from “film interpretation”, archives and film library work, social engagement in donations supporting film and students and – at last:
authentic, directing, creative work of Vlada Petrić in film work.

Enough?

Even for the work with - the whole life behind it.

Writing one of his “American books”, monograph study on the Harvard Film Archives that was founded by Petrić personally, this “film monk” (as frequently referred to and presented) said:

“I shall write for the next five-six years. But I won't finish the book. I won't live that long”.

Life under the shadow of memories and film

Vlada (Vladimir) Petrić was born on March 11, 1928 in Prnjavor , Bosnia . He completed secondary school in Pan č evo. In 1952 he graduated from the Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy, English Language and Literature Department.
In 1952 he graduated from the Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, Directing Department in Professor Josip Kulundžić's class.
At the same Academy he started teaching the history of film and directing plays and cultural programmes at TV Belgrade. During the period of three years he was at the helm of the TV Belgrade film programme.
He was at the famous Moscow VGIK (All-union Film Institute) in 1964-65 and at Lev Kuleshov's “maistorskaya” he prepared his dissertation on the Soviet silent film.
In 1969 he was invited to the New York Modern Arts Museum to participate in classification of the newly arrived Soviet silent films collection. He was then accepted to the newly founded Department of Cinema Study at the New York University . There, in 1973, he defended his dissertation on research of mutual influence between Soviet and American silent film.

After deserved Ph.D. – the first of the kind in the USA – he was invited to lecture history and theory of film at the Harvard University . In 1979 he founded the Harvard Film Archives and became its first director.

Finally arrived retirement, but he continued to give public lectures, to participate in expert conferences and to direct – experimental films and video essays!

Then he wrote and published the following books:

D.W. Griffith: A Corner in Wheat, 1978; Six Essays on Film, 1980; Film and Dreams: Focus on Bergman, 1981; Constructivism in Film, 1987; He is finishing two more books: Memories of a Movie Monk and Neoestetics of Cinema.

He has made the following films:

Story Cage from the omnibus Time of Love, feature;
Fatal Thirst , short, experimental and – for specific purposes;
The Wall of Memories , documentary record
Laslo Moholj-Nađ , experimental

Three years ago, at this Festival, he got the award for screenplay (The Wall of Memories) and for a very long time he has been thinking what is, in fact, the way of “leading into film”?

Nikola Lorencin

Prize-winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award

1987. (34th Festival) Jože Pogačnik
1988. Žika Ristić
1989. Krsto Škanata
1990. Vicko Raspor
1991. Ratko Đurović
1992. Nikola Nikša Jovićević
1993. Aleksandar Aca Ilić
1994. Branislav Bane Bastać
1995. Milenko Štrbac I Stjepan Zaninović
1996. Vlatko Gilić
1997. Nikola Majdak
1998. Mladomir Puriša Đorđević
1999. Veljko Bikić ( posthumno)
2000. Branko Milošević
2001. Živko Nikolić
2002. Nikola Stojanović
2003. Dušan Makavejev
2004. Stevan Radović – Orijenski
2005. Miomir Miki Stamenković