Dalibor Matanić

Dalibor Matanić
Matanić at the Odesa International Film Festival in 2015
Born (1975-01-21) 21 January 1975 (age 49)
Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
NationalityCroatian
EducationAcademy of Dramatic Art
Alma materUniversity of Zagreb
Occupations
  • Screenwriter
  • film director
Years active2000–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2014)​
Children2
AwardsGolden Arena for Best Director
2002 Fine Dead Girls

Dalibor Matanić (Croatian pronunciation: [dǎliboːr mǎtanit͡ɕ], born 21 January 1975) is a Croatian filmmaker and screenwriter, known for raising pressing social issues in his films.

Career

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Dalibor Matanić was born in Zagreb in 1975 to Tomo, a building engineer, and Anka, who worked as a cashier.[1][2] Matanić graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Art with a degree in Film and Television Directing. In 2000, he wrote and directed his feature debut The Cashier Wants to go to the Seaside. The main theme discussed in the film is the exploitation of workers.[3]

In 2002, he released the feature Fine Dead Girls, a drama about a lesbian couple that suffers from the hands of their landlords and family members. It received wide acclaim and won the Grand Prix, Audience Award and Critics' Award at the national film festival. The movie also won the Special Jury Prize at the 2003 Sochi film festival.[3][4][5]

In 2004, he released 100 Minutes of Glory, a biographical drama about Slava Raškaj, a turn-of-the-century artist, often described as Croatian Frida Kahlo.[6] His next film, 2005 I Love You received moderate critical acclaim.[7][8] Though praised for effective ambience and visuals, its screenplay was described as awkward and generally unconvincing.[9]

In 2010 Mother of Asphalt was released. By some critics it was called the most satisfying and subtle Matanić's feature.[10]

His 2015 film The High Sun became a great success, it got rave reviews in the international media.[11] Some critics called it 'the biggest success of Croatian independent cinema'.[12] The High Sun was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Jury Prize.[13][14] At the 62nd Pula Film Festival it won Best Croatian Film of the year award,[15] as well as more than 20 prizes at various world film festivals.[16]

In 2020, Matanić released The Dawn, the second film of the trilogy started with The High Sun. It was made in co-production with Italian RAI.[17] The film was premiered at Tallinn Black Nights[18][19] and then screened at several other festivals.[20][21] At the Pula Film Festival the film won four Golden Arenas.[22] The Dawn premiered on HBO in 2021.[23]

Also in 2020, Matanić directed the main opening program "Opera Industrial" for Rijeka 2020 and staged for the Croatian National Theater a play "Berlin" written by Ivor Martinić.[24]

In 2016, Novine TV series was launched. The nordic noir-inspired series also was greatly influenced by The Wire.[24][25]

In 2022, Matanić directed The Silence (2022) [de] series. Co-produced for HBO by Croatia, Ukraine and Russia, the story is based on a real case of sex trafficking chain that extends from Ukraine to Croatia described in a trilogy of novels by investigative journalist Drago Hedl.[26][27] The noir series has been selected for the Berlinale Series Market.[28][29]

Controversies

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In April 2024 Matanić confessed that he deeply regrets ('kajem se') actions that he had committed, namely sexual harassment of his female colleagues. He announced this confession on his personal Facebook profile. Many of his business contracts were ended after it became public that he has for years been harassing female colleagues. In his official public announcement in April 2024 he explained how he believes that his actions were a direct result of a drug and alcohol abuse and he announced how he would take some time off from the public life in order to seek help and rehab.[30][31]

Personal life

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Dalibor Matanić is married to actress Helena Minić. The couple has three children. As Matanić confessed in interviews, he named his children after the heroes of the movies which changed his life and influenced him deeply. His eldest daughter is Lola after Run, Lola, Run, and his second son's name is Max (after Mad Max).[32] The couple welcomed the third son, Neo, in 2020.[33][24]

Selected filmography

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Matanić directed more than 20 short and feature films, his works include:[16][34]

References

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  1. ^ "Dalibor Matanic". Dalibor Matanic. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Dalibor Matanic". Semaine de la critique. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Zvizdan" (PDF). Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  4. ^ Malašić Lazić, Gordana (17 June 2016). "Pula film festival: Najbolji filmovi u posljednjih 25 godina su..." (in Croatian). Scena.hr. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  5. ^ "FINE MRTVE DJEVOJKE" (in Croatian). Pula Film Festival. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  6. ^ Young, Deborah (27 September 2004). "100 Minutes of Glory". Variety. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  7. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (3 January 2007). "In Croatia, an Empty Life in Full View". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Volim te". Baza HR kinematografije (in Croatian). Croatian Film Association. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  9. ^ Scheib, Ronnie (9 January 2007). "I Love You". Variety. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  10. ^ van Hoeij, Boyd (29 December 2010). "Mother of Asphalt". Variety. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Croatian Film 'The High Sun' Wins Award in Cannes!". Croatia Week. 24 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  12. ^ Stojiljković, Marko (27 November 2020). "Recensione: The Dawn". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  13. ^ "2015 Official Selection". Cannes. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  14. ^ Ford, Rebeccas (23 May 2015). "Cannes: 'Rams' Wins Un Certain Regard Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  15. ^ Mitchell, Wendy (28 July 2015). "'The High Sun' is big winner in Pula". Screen Daily. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  16. ^ a b "The High Sun". Croatian Audiovisual Centre. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  17. ^ "Matanić a Piancavallo con il secondo film della "trilogia del sole"". Il Piccolo. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  18. ^ "World premiere of Dalibor Matanić's The Dawn". Croatian Audiovisual Centre. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  19. ^ Stojiljković, Marko (30 November 2020). "Dalibor Matanić • Director of The Dawn". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  20. ^ "The Dawn". Eastern Neighbours Film Festival. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  21. ^ Ide, Wendy (27 November 2020). "'The Dawn': Tallinn Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  22. ^ "Dalibor Matanić's The Dawn to Premiere on HBO". Total Croatia News. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  23. ^ "The Dawn by Dalibor Matanić Premieres on HBO". Film New Europe. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  24. ^ a b c Stillin, Forrest (23 January 2020). "Croatian Director of Netflix 'The Paper' on Final Season: Dalibor Matanić". Total Croatia News. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  25. ^ "Croatian Series 'The Paper' Now Available on Netflix". Croatia Times. 4 April 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  26. ^ Petković, Vladan (11 April 2022). "Series review: The Silence". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  27. ^ "Drama Quarterly: Breaking the Silence". Beta Film. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  28. ^ Shepel, Tatiana (19 May 2021). "Режиссер Далибор Матанич: "Это очень круто, когда люди с камерой могут сделать больше, чем люди с оружием"". Broadcast. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Dalibor Matanić's series The Silence selected for Berlinale Series Market". Croatian Audiovisual Centre. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  30. ^ "Oglasio se Dalibor Matanić: 'Osvijestio sam da sam na neprimjeren način uznemiravao kolegice'" [Dalibor Matanić came forward: 'I realized that I had inappropriately harassed female colleagues']. Večernji list (in Croatian). 5 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  31. ^ "Dalibor Matanić nakon priznanja i isprike obrisao profil na Facebooku. Otkazani mu i svi poslovi" [After confessing and apologizing, Dalibor Matanić deleted his Facebook profile. All his businesses were cancelled]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 6 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  32. ^ "Режисер Далібор Матаніч: "Політики дуже злякалися правди, яку ми показуємо в серіалі «Зломовчання"". vglcinema.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  33. ^ Mikuličin, Ivana (4 December 2017). "HELENA MINIĆ MATANIĆ 'Mnogi muškarci i u 21. stoljeću svoje supruge tretiraju kao ukras života'". Globus. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  34. ^ "Dalibor Matanić, Croazia. Premio Darko Bratina. Omaggio a una visione 2016" (in Italian). Premio Darko Bratina. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
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