The Diary of Diana B.

Dana Budisavljević201928:0712

Availability: Worldwide / Subtitles: Eng

Deeply troubled by the persecution of innocent mothers and children in Nazi-occupied Croatia, Diana, a distinguished Austrian, undertakes what is to become one of the largest rescue campaigns of World War II – one that saved 10,000 children from certain death. Eighty years later, few survivors return to the ruins of former camps only to find out that they owe their lives to the determination of one woman. Through its fragmentary structure, an amalgam of archival footage, survivors’ accounts, and scenes depicted by Diana in her diary entries, the film attempts to create a cinematic encounter between those the history has unjustly torn asunder: a selfless woman and the children she had saved.

Dana Budisavljević

Dana Budisavljević (Zagreb, 1975) is graduated film editor from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb, co-founder and co-director of Hulahop, Croatian producing company that produces and distributes its own line-up and organizes Animafest. Her first feature film The Diary of Diana B. was awarded Golden Arena at the Pula Film Festival making her the first female director to receive main festival award since 1957. She made her directorial debut with the documentary Straight A’s (Factum, 2004), after which she went on to win wide acclaim with Family Meals (Hulahop, 2012), a documentary about coming out. She has produced the documentary series Slumbering Concrete, directed by Saša Ban, as well as films like I Like That Super Most the Best by Eva Kraljević and Then I See Tanja by Juraj Lerotić.

Production: Hulahop

Director: Dana Budisavljević

Cast: Krešimir Mikić, Vilim Matula, Jerko Marčić, Livio Badurina, Alma Prica, Mirjana Karanović, Ermin Bravo, Biserka Ipša, Igor Samobor

Witnesses: Nada Vlaisavljević, Milorad Jandrić, Zorka Janjanin, Živko Zelenbrz

Co-producer: Lija Pogačnik, Snežana van Houwelingen, Vlado Bulajić

Sound mix: Julij Zornik

Screenplay: Jelena Paljan, Dana Budisavljević

Costume Design: Martina Franić

Music: Nenad Sinkauz, Alen Sinkauz

Director of Photography: Jasenko Rasol

Editing: Marko Ferković

Sound: Jakov Munižaba

Producer: Miljenka Čogelja, Olinka Vištica

Make-up Artist: Dušica Vuksanović

Production Designer: Ivo Hušnjak, Dušan Milavec

Festivals and awards:
2019. Grand Golden Arena for Best Film; Golden Arena for Best Directing (Dana Budisavljević); Golden Arena for Best Music (Alen Sinkauz, Nenad Sinkauz); Golden Arena for Best Editing (Marko Ferković); Golden Gate of Pula; FEDEORA Award for Best Croatian Feature Film – Pula Film Festival
2019. Prize for Best Debut Film – FilmFestival Cottbus – Festival of East European Cinema
2019. Best Film (Program 'PLUS') – Zagreb Film Festival
2019. Best Feature Film in International Competition – Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival
2019. Oktavijan Award for Best Feature Film
2019. Vladimir Nazor Award