Draft:Ljubika adzovic


Ljubica "Aïcha" Adžović (Bar, Yugoslavia 1924 — Montenegro 23rd May 2006)[citation needed] was a Yugoslavian/Montenegrine fortune teller[1][2] of Romani ethnicity[3], who became known for her iconic roles in Emir_Kusturica's films Time of the Gypsies (as "Grandmother Khaditza") and Black Cat, White Cat (as "Sujka").

Biografy

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Ljubica Adžović was born in Bar, Montenegro[1][4] (formerly Yugoslavia) in 1924[citation needed]. Mother of nine children, she was a fortune teller on the beach of Sutomore[1][2], until she was discovered in the summer of 1987 by Emir Kusturica's casting crew, in a vineyard in Suvi Potok, near Sutomore[1][2].

Interviewed during the filming, Adžović stated: "He (Emir Kusturica, Ed.) liked me, and overnight, I became an actress. I'm illiterate, but that's not a problem, I learn the text by heart. I might even make some money. Because I am a poor woman. I feed nine children with social assistance of only three million and eight hundred thousand dinars. You ask where we live? In a wooden house, smaller than the one used in the film. That's why the children say -go play, mother, earn some dinars so we can fix the roof over our heads"[1].

Even though she was not a professional actress, her inexperience in front of the camera contributed to the realism of her characters[5].

When interviewed about Adžović, Emir Kusturica stated: "She was very emotive and after three or four screen-tests, she happened to be capable to reach the level I searched for the character of the grand mother."[2]

Adžović was grateful to Kusturica for having launched her into the film industry[6], but refused to play other parts in movies not directed by him[2][7].

Instead, she returned to her roots and previous profession: reading fortunes from cards on the beach in Sutomore[6].

Her role as gypsy grandmother in "Time of the Gypsies" (1989) and later "Black Cat, White Cat" (1998) alongside Branka Katić made Adžović an icon of the rare portrayals of Romani culture in the 20th century[5].

After living in Sweden (from 1998)[8] and France (from 2001)[3], Adžović returned to her native region Montenegro in 2005, where she died after a brief illness on 23rd May 2006[6][9].

Interviewed after Adžović's death, Kusturica expressed deep regret, stating that filming Time of the Gypsies and Black Cat, White Cat were the most exciting experiences of his career, and adding that Ljubica was a unique talent: every shot they shot together was an invaluable experience for him as a film director[6].

Filmography

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Year Title Role
1989 Time of the Gypsies Khatidža
1998 Black Cat, White Cat Sujka

Controversies

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In 2006, shortly before her death, Adžović was falsely accused of being involved in child trafficking[10][8]. This false statement turned out to have been caused by an oversight of the Tanjug agency press, since the person that was originally accused of the crime shared the same first and last name with Adžović[6][8].

Request for Asylum

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In 2001 Adžović sought asylum in Rhône, claiming to have received death threats from the Albanian mafia[citation needed], which demanded money from her and destroyed her house in Montenegro. In her testimony to the French authorities, Adžović stated to have arrived in Rhône via Italy and through Albania, hoping for "water, bread and a house to be quiet in France"[3][11].

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Filming of the film "Dom za vešanje" has started". September 1987. Archived from the original on 2024-02-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Ljubica Adžović". 2007-10-23. Archived from the original on 2017-06-21.
  3. ^ a b c AFP, ed. (2001-06-18). "Ljubica Adžović". Archived from the original on 2003-09-14.
  4. ^ jedro.bar, ed. (2022-04-22). "Ljubica Adžović, the actress who made Bar famous". Archived from the original on 2024-06-18.
  5. ^ a b Eraković, Veljko (2015-07-14). "Analysis of female Roma characters in the films of Emir Kusturica". Archived from the original on 2024-06-19.
  6. ^ a b c d e stil.kurir.rs, ed. (2023-10-14). "Ljubica is a fortune teller from Sutomore, who has bewitched Kusturica". Archived from the original on 2023-10-24.
  7. ^ hellomagazin.rs, ed. (2016-04-02). "Ljubica Adžović: The fortuneteller who won Cannes and the heart of Emir Kusturica". Archived from the original on 2016-04-05.
  8. ^ a b c glas-javnosti.rs, ed. (2006-03-21). "The media wrongly accused Ljubica Adžović of child trafficking". Archived from the original on 2022-07-05.
  9. ^ seecult.org, ed. (2006-05-26). "Ljubica Adzovic, the heroine of Kusturica's films, passed away". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05.
  10. ^ 24ur.com, ed. (2006-03-19). "Actress trafficked with children?". Archived from the original on 2024-06-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link)
  11. ^ glas-javnosti.rs, ed. (2001-06-19). "Threats of the Montenegrin mafia". Archived from the original on 2023-03-24.