Previewed at the Toronto International Film Festival, the first part of Mila Turajlić’s new documentary, Ciné-guerrillas: Scenes from the Labudović Reels, introduces the viewer to the work of Serbian cameraman Stevan Labudović (1926-2017).
Labudović worked for many years at the Yugoslav state agency Filmske Novostiun. He is particularly known for his coverageof the war in Algeria from the late 1950’s. As Tito’s official cameraman he was sent to Algeria to follow the fight for independence. He joined the Algerian National Liberation Army (ALN) and made numerous news films to spread the Algerian point of view to the rest of the world. From 1959 to 1962 Labudović documented the war through dozens of reels of film and hundreds of photographs. When he died, Algeria paid tribute to his commitment to their cause.
Based on archive images, Labudović’s diaries and interviews, Mila Turajlić retraces the cameraman’s career in Algeria. It took her seven years to construct her film. By contrasting French official news reports with Labudović’s footage, she shows the differences between the two opposing factionsand uncovers a classic piece of anti-colonial cinema.
Born in Belgrade in 1979, Turajlić was marked by the civil war which put an end to Yugoslavia. This latest film is in line with herearlier work which, as she explains in an article at Film Documentaire, looks at the memories of a country which has now disappeared by examining the images produced and questioning many of the decision-makers. Making her first feature-length documentary, Cinema Komunisto (winning 16 awards), she met Tito’s official projectionist, Leka Konstantinovic, who explained to her how Tito used film to create a state version of history.
The second part of this diptych is scheduled for autumn 2022.
Sources: Film New Europe, TIFF, Film Documentaire
