I often criticise Serbian and regional movie production for being excessively focused on “for export” films, which do not seek to portray any real stories, but just fit into the cottage industries of war-time trauma, Eastern European miserabilism or “political commentary”. Still I found myself greatly enjoying two very explicitly Yugoslav/Serbian “for export” films, which, however did not seek any prestige on festival circuits but something much harder: to entertain.

The two films in question are Cognac (aka Tajna manastirske rakije), a farcical comedy around making a sham monastery starring Seventh Heaven’s Catherine Hicks and Top Gun’s Rick Rossovich (who has Istrian Croatian roots), and Gidra Stojanović’s “action movie” Born to be a warrior (BTBAW – Rođen kao ratnik).

While neither is a masterpiece, they are very entertaining as they truly revel in the atmosphere the places they were shot in. That is even more poignant given that, although they were shot less than a decade apart, they depict vey different Yugoslavias. In Cognac, the country is underdeveloped, but stable and under control of a silly bureaucracy.

In BTBAW, which was filmed at the peak of the wars of Yugoslav succession, Belgrade is a charming, but lawless place where tough guys battle it out on the streets. While both are heightened for export purposes, they do capture their eras rather well and lovingly.

What also makes them great is that they managed to capture some great places that have changed massively. Some of the first scenes of Cognac capture Belgrade airport as I remember it in 1990s, while its funny finale is in Sava Centre’s hall. On the other hand BTBAW shows Čumićevo sokace and various Belgrade restaurants of mid-1990s in their seductive grimy light.

In BTBAW everybody is very fit and attractive, showing Gidra’s love of the 1980s Hollywood aesthetic, which he picked up hanging out in the States with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the gang. There is also a proud Monetenegrin undercurrent: it shows Gidra as a devout, honourable man, who cares about his family and friends, occasionally to break into dancing Oro. Speaking of Montenegro, the film also features an equally genius bodybuilder with an aesthetic mind – Boro Miranović. Miranović continued the aesthetic of BTBAW in his campaign when he ran for president of Montenegro in 1997, dressed as Conan the Barbarian.

What is also funny about Gidra’s film is that it parallel’s the first Serbian talkie Innocence without protection, which was also made during WW2 by a famous strongman – Dragoljub Aleksić – to showcase his physique and abilities. Those two films maye underline the saying that bad times, make strong men (make films about themsleves).

It is a shame that Gidra was shot only even years after the film was released, in a still unresolved hit job, especially as he planned a sequel. But who knows, maybe these precarious times create some inspired project. Maybe a Serbian Meet me in St Louis, but which centres around the 2027 Expo in Belgrade?

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