Documentary film about the National Folk Dance Ensemble of Croatia LADO was yesterday screened for the first time ever at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema in Zagreb. The film named ’70’ marks seven decades of existence of the only professional folk ensemble in Croatia.
The documentary offers an insight to the inner life of the ensemble, usually unreachable to the public, shown from the performers’ point of view. It documents the hard work on which performance is based, the longevity and reputation of the ensemble, but also the invisible and intangible, and equally important – the spirit of a collective and a shared passion for the work among performers.
The film relies mostly on the observation and statements made in the moment, in action. Life of the collective is shown through three parallel stories focused on performers in the process of preparation for concerts during 2019. These stories follow Dubravko Radić, soloist Petra Matutinović and musician soloist Mladen Kosovac. The fourth story shows the preparation and the departure of the Ensemble for a summer tour, including all the challenges artistic, technical and management staff faces before the concert.
Production of a 50-minute film was funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia. The filming took place in several cities in Croatia, all under the watch of an award-winning director, producer and screenwriter Nebojša Slijepčević.
