Zdravko Velimirović

Zdravko Velimirović (Serbian Cyrillic: Здравко Велимировић ; 11 October 1930 – 7 February 2005) was a Yugoslavian film director and screenwriter, University Professor, a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences. He also directed over fifty documentaries and short films and eight feature films between 1954 and 2005, twenty radio dramas, five theatre plays and had varied art photography exhibitions.

Zdravko Velimirović was born on 11 October 1930 in Cetinje, the son of Professor Luka Velimirović and Professor Zagorka (née Balić) Velimirović.

Zdravko as young boy and the family, father Luka, mother Zagorka and sister Vesna lived in Cetinje at “Banski stanovi”. His first contact with cinema was at “Gurdić” in Cetinje where he would go as a boy to watch some world significant movies that inspired him and developed desire for film making. At “Banski stanovi” (block of flats for high governmental officials and families), in Cetinje, Zdravko lived at “Banski stanovi”, in the same block of flats together with his friends and school mates: Borislav Pekić, Pavle Vuisić, Minja Dedić who later in life also became eminent in Culture and Arts.

Zdravko spent significant years of his life in Kotor Old town – Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska where he later completed High school. He lived at Buća Palace (built 14th century) in Old town Kotor with his family: father Luka, professor and director of school, his mother Zagorka, teacher and sister Vesna, who was later doctor, paediatrician in Kotor hospital. Kotor was very important inspiration for his Art studies and further Art creation in life, Zdravko already in school started performing in drama classes, theatre, recitals, theatre plays and ultimately film work preparations. He continued education at Film Academies in Belgrade and Paris. During his big career he made seven documentaries about his beloved Boka Bay and Kotor where he grew up and where his mother Zagorka Velimirović Balić was born.

During his career he was involved in variety of Arts: film director of feature, documentary and short films, TV series director, radio drama director, theatre play director and screenwriter for all mentioned. Apart from his great achievement in arts and culture in Yugoslavia, he had outstanding cooperation with well-known film makers in the West and East and worldwide film societies. For many years in his career, He was also university professor and the principal at the Belgrade Dramatic Arts University, where many of his former students formed as world-class film makers. He was on sabbatical, teaching as a professor in Canada and lectured by invitation in various academies and art institutes around the world. He married Ranka Velimirovic, film and TV producer, in 1963, and they happily lived and worked together throughout life.

1,• "Srpski Legat: Rođen je reditelj, scenarista i profesor Zdravko Velimirović". srpskilegat.rs. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2020. 2.• ^ Jump up to: a b "Intervju: Ranka Velimirović, supruga i saradnica Zdravka Velimirovića". dan.co.me. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015. 3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Portret Zdravka Velimirovića". Seecult.org. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2015. 4.• ^ Jump up to: a b "Omaž reditelju Zdravku Velimirović u Kotoru". Radio Kotor www.radiokotor.info. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018. 5.• ^ Jump up to: a b "Pekić i Velimirović: Išli su sami svojim putem". Večernje novosti online www.novosti.rs. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2015.