Kad budem mrtav i beo (When I Am Dead and Pale). 1967. 1967. Directed by Živojin Pavlović. Written by Ljubiša Kozomara and Gordan Mihić. With Dragan Nikolić, Ružica Sokić, Neda Spasojević. In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles. DCP. 79 min.
Dušan Makavejev once said that the Black Wave received its name thanks to the films of Živojin Pavlović, in which the most critically outspoken and aesthetically innovative tendencies were to be found. Restoring compassion to political cinema and bringing a political conscience to poetic cinema, Pavlović’s films focus on characters on the margins of society. When I Am Dead and Pale follows the life of Jimmy the Dingy, a young, charismatic, chain-smoking vagabond who spends his time as a seasonal worker, but whose real dream is to become a singer. Starring Dragan Nikolić in the role that shot him to fame and made him one of the most recognizable faces in Yugoslav cinema, the film is a stark portrait of human experience and Jimmy’s descent amid a troupe of characters—including his companion and fellow singer Duška (played by the stunning Ružica Sokić). Winner of the Golden Arena for Best Film and Best Director at Yugoslavia's Pula Film Festival, the FIPRESCI Prize at Karlovy Vary, and the film that inspired John Schlesinger to make Midnight Cowboy after seeing it at the New York Film Festival, When I Am Dead and Pale is one of cinema's most magnificent achievements.