Performing a Version of Themselves: A Comparative Analysis of Želimir Žilnik’s Work with Nonprofessional Actors

Abstract Želimir Žilnik’s films are marked by the director’s work with nonprofessional actors who come from the social periphery or marginalized communities and offer unconventional perspectives about social conditions and history. As the title of Žilnik’s recent retrospective exhibition ‘Shadow citizens’ indicates, his films present individuals who embody alternatives to their time’s ruling ideology. These characters include homeless men in communist-era Novi Sad, guest workers in Germany, drag queens in nationalist-dominated Belgrade, immigrants trying to enter Europe and laid-off industrial workers in post-Yugoslav Serbia. Following the long legacy of filming amateur actors, Žilnik cuts a distinct path in using nonprofessionals. This essay comparatively analyzes his Kenedi trilogy and The Old School of Capitalism (2009) with other recent films of social concern from Eastern European directors to place in relief how Žilnik’s films define the socially marginalized and historically determined position of their subjects. This article argues that Žilnik’s films present a critical development in the cinematic practice of reenactment and the use of nonprofessional actors since the director makes it possible for his amateurs to simulate and critically revise their reality on the film screen.