Barking on the stars

Set in a small provincial high school at the beginning of the 60′, this romantic and witty comedy features an array of characters – the entire graduate class IV/2 and their teachers.

The adventures and escapades these characters live through – recognizable, yet personal and authentic – easily reach the hearts of the audience. The leading character – intelligent and spirited graduate student Mihailo (played by Dragan Micanovic) – excels at school curriculum surpassing his class-mates and even teachers, but has to fight his own brother – earthly minded guy who has already learned how to make money and needs no further education – over the love and attention of alluring and romantic class-mate Danica (played by Natasa Solak). Then we meet the head of the class – PE teacher who is all nuts, obsessed by the idea of a perfect body fitness. He thinks of his students as clumsy and drowsy and consequently, makes them exercise whenever he gets a chance.

Once, applying his own theory that the best remedy for morning sleepiness is a sudden leap from one’s bed, he collides with a wall, suffers concussion and emerges from the incident a wackier person. He has yet another obsession: he believes his protégé and favorite student will win boxing championship. They work out fanatically until, one day, the boastful boxing champion wannabe comes backs from a big city boxing match all bruised and down in the dumps. The general rule among students is: “The more tricks you employ, the less you’ve got to study”, or “the teachers’ favorite student is bete-noire for class-mates”.

The 1960s were years of rapid motorization in this area. One professor bought a small national car and takes great care of its "health," but he is also a very untalented driver. His training creates a series of comical situations that amuse the surroundings. To avoid this, he takes the whole class to a hill outside the city, where he officially holds a traffic signal lesson but actually orchestrates an accident so that his students block the main road for him to safely learn to drive. It all ends with a traffic jam and police intervention. The absent-minded history professor stops by a tavern for a drink before class. Instead of his coat, they hand him a tablecloth. He appears at school, in front of his principal, with the tablecloth over his arm. When leaving school, he always takes a colleague's coat with him. His entire class escapes during one of the last classes. "You thought I would be giving an exam. You were wrong; today, I will be lecturing." He gives a lecture to an empty classroom until the principal interrupts him. When his students run away because "Red Star" is performing in the city, he goes to the stadium, squeezes in among the students, and subtly quizzes them without them noticing, in order to grade them, except for the main character and his girlfriend, whom he finally finds sitting on a bench in the park, enjoying an idyllic moment. He sits on the bench, discreetly drawing attention to himself, and quizzes them as well. The sentimental farewell of the students with the school and the teachers is approaching, as well as the end of this story...

Cast Students: Mihailo Knežević Filozof – Dragan Mićanović Danica Janković – Nataša Šolak Milić Gavranić Tupa – Nikola Djuričko Bogoljub Marić – Nebojša Ilić Mladen Ložanić Maler – Milorad Damjanović Milena Koheza – Isidora Minić Budimir Vujić Dim – Petar Ćirica Jovan Slobenovic Piki – Nebojša Milovanović Simeon – Marko Jeremić Miki Knežević – Rastko Janković Slavka – Sandra Balaban

Teachers: Dragićević Djuro – Bogdan Diklić Stević Gradimir – Dragan Jovanović Božović – Velimir Bata Živojinović Lazičić Nenad Kutuz – Branimir Brstina Jelinić Dana – Vesna Trivalić Milićevićka – Maja Sabljić Maletić – Drago Čuma Dokić Olivera – Albena Stavreva Lazarević Slobodan – Aleksandar Berček School principal – Nikola Simić