Named one of the most outstanding works of the Yugoslav Black Wave, “When I Am Dead and White” is a mischievous drama full of black humour and satire, depicting the moral degradation of various social classes under the oppressive Yugoslav regime. The protagonist, handsome and devious Janko, or Jimmy Barka, is a slippery vagabond who takes advantage of everyone whom he encounters. Unemployed, he finds himself on a strange odyssey through women and deceit and discovers he wants to become a pop singer.

Director Živojin Pavlović was one of the great figures of the Black Wave, who showed the darker side of life in his films, in contrast to the shiny façade of the communist Yugoslavia. He focused on characters at the margins of society. “When I Am Dead and White” was awarded at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival and the Pula Film Festival.

Kati Vuks