Belgrade 2.0

In memoriam: Mika Oklop

Posted 2007-07-12 05:14 under Culture by Viktor Marković / 7 comments

Even though a bit late, I feel I need to mention a man who passed away ten days ago – Milan Oklopdzic, also known by his nickname Mika Oklop. Mika died in San Francisco, far away from his home town of Belgrade in the age of 59.
His book, Ca. Blues, (excerpt) published in 1981 is nothing less of a phenomenon, not so much among the younger generations in Belgrade, but most certainly among their parents. It’s a book that broke through the grayness of the communist Belgrade of the time, managing to change and influence thousands of young people at the time with it’s unusual style, setting (California) and theme. Oklop never repeated the success he had with his first book that sold in over 100.000 copies, a remarkable number for Serbia. This book alone, though, was enough – older folks who read it remember Mika as one of the best writers Belgrade ever had.
I never read the book. But by the influence it left on my parents and on many others belonging to the same generation I can clearly see that it was significant only by listening to them talking about it. I am not sure how would I like the book now – nor how would those not living in that time in this place like the book. But I will read it someday.

On the other hand, I had the privilege of meeting Mika, I went to primary school with his son while they were still living in Belgrade, so browsing through his rich rock records collection did make some sort of influence on me too – it was the first time I heard of some bands, and I am gratefull for that alone.

I will leave you with the following clip from the movie Young and healthy like a rose, another culture gem that attempted to make a crack in communist idea of ideology, back in 1971. Directed by Jovan Jovanovic, it was forbidden the moment it came out (you can asume why after looking this clip alone), and had it’s premiere only last year.

Unless something extremely important happens in the next four days you won’t hear from me, cause I’m off to Novi Sad – Exit Festival is starting today. Expect the report when I return. Until then I will leave you to the rest of the crew, and their posts, if they don’t get all lazy now – after all, it’s summer.

7 Comments

Comment

1. Sasha on 13/07/07 11:17 PM

   Well, now I’ll have to find out where to get the book and how to get the movie:)

2. Daniel on 17/07/07 10:39 PM

   “it was forbidden the moment it came out (you can asume why after looking at this clip alone”

   Sorry .. I didn’t get it. Maybe my Serbian’s not good enough. There’s a guy driving out of BG into the countryside … and in the background we hear Tito’s address on his birthday? You’ll have to explain the subversive in-joke (unless it was just the yawning, or the unsanctioned use of Tito’s voice).

3. Mladen on 18/07/07 04:47 PM

   “Sorry .. I didn’t get it. Maybe my Serbian’s not good enough. There’s a guy driving out of BG into the countryside … and in the background we hear Tito’s address on his birthday? You’ll have to explain the subversive in-joke (unless it was just the yawning, or the unsanctioned use of Tito’s voice).”

   Well, believe it or not, in the early 1970s that was more than enough to get a movie banned in SFR Yugoslavia. Even though commie regime in Yugo might have seemed less restrictive in the overall sense than other communist regimes across Eastern Europe at the time (it allowed its citizens to more or less freely travel abroad, foreign merchandise was readily available in stores, etc.), when it came to movies, music, and literature the censorship was very heavyhanded indeed.

   Even as late as mid 1980s, a wrong lyric in a song or an implied potentially subversive idea in a published text could get you fired (famous Dusko Radovic got canned from Radio Studio B in 1983 on orders from Ivan Stambolic). I suppose this was an improvement over 1950s when one would do hard time on Goli Otok for the same deed, but SFR Yugo was always long way away from a normal country even though it might have seemed beter than communist Hungary, Poland, Czechslovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria .

   There were entire commisions set up within the Communist League to monitor songs, movies, and novels. Something with anti-regime potential would occasionally slip through, but more often than not anything adjudged to contain even a hint of incendiarism was quickly and swiftly axed. This would often lead to absurd bans since these commisions were often full of overzealous apparatchiks who didn’t even analyze the context: certain imagery would immediately get their tails up and a ban would be almost automatic.

4. Cvijus on 18/07/07 07:27 PM

   Interestingly this movie was banned at the time when Latinka Perovic was on power in Serbia (along with Penezic), a woman who is now called a unique democrat and liberal. It is very contradictory.

5. JelenaM on 14/08/07 12:15 PM

   “Oklop never repeated the success he had with his first book that sold in over 100.000 copies, a remarkable number for Serbia.”

   In 1981 the book was published and sold in Yugoslavia. I am pointing this out because people tend to call ‘Serbian’ everything that existed in Yugoslavia.
   Generally speaking, on the cultural scene of YU, the competition was bigger and the variety was greater; this in consequence gave a better quality and wider selection.

6. Viktor on 15/08/07 02:20 AM

   Mladen, thanks for the excellent explaination.

   Jelena, of course, you are right – it was Yugoslavia I meant to say instead of Serbia.

7. Suzana Anderson on 18/05/08 10:06 AM

   Hello everyone,
   I hope this message comes trough since I’m writing almost a year later from everyone else. I’ve beem trying to find unsuccessfully someone from Milan’s family. His wife or children. His most popular piece of work “Ca.Blues” has influenced me as much as others, and I’ve been talking about it with my dear husband for such a long time, regreting that he can’t read it, cause it was never translated to english. That’s when it came to mind, why wouldn’t I do that? So ever since the desicion was made I was trying to find out who do I get the rights from. Unfortunately the author died last year, rest his soul. So if anyone has any information, please contact me. I’ll always be greatful. Cheers
   suzana.anderson@gmail.com