Love Affair, or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator (1967) Ljubavni slucaj ili tragedija sluzbenice P.T.T. (original title)

Director:

Dusan Makavejev

Writers:

Dusan Makavejev
Branko Vucicevic

Release Date:

6 February 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

After many adventures, young female switchboard operator starts a love relationship with a serious young man...

Plot Keywords:

Dead Woman Carried | Morgue | Nudity | Pregnant Woman Murdered | Autopsy

Cast

Eva Ras	...	Izabela, telefonistkinja
Slobodan Aligrudic	...	Ahmed, sanitarni inspektor
Ruzica Sokic	...	Ruza, Izabelina koleginica
Miodrag Andric	...	Mica, postar i zavodnik
Aleksander Kostic	...	Ekspert za seksualna pitanja (as Dr Aleksandat Dj Kostic)
Zivojin Aleksic	...	Ekspert za kriminalistiku (as Dr Zivojin L Aleksic)
Dragan Obradovic	...	Obducent (as Dr Dragan Obradovic)
Rade Ljubisavljevic	...	Vodoinstalater
Aca Tadic	...	Jorgandzija

Directed by
Dusan Makavejev

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dusan Makavejev
Branko Vucicevic

Cinematography by
Aleksandar Petkovic

Film Editing by
Katarina Stojanovic

Production Design by
Vladislav Lasic

Costume Design by
Jelisaveta Gobecki

Makeup Department
Dragica Milivojevic	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Aleksandar Krstic	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Branko Vucicevic	....	assistant director
Zelimir Zilnik	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Dusan Aleksic	....	sound
Miodrag Petrovic-Sarlo	....	sound editor

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Milanka Sultanovic	....	wardrobe

Production Companies

• Avala Film

Distributors

• Brandon Films (1968) (USA) (subtitled)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Eclipse from the Criterion Collection (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Facets Multimedia Distribution

Also Known As:

"Ljubavni slucaj ili tragedija sluzbenice P.T.T." - Yugoslavia (original title)
"An Affair of the Heart" - USA (festival title)

Runtime:

79 min | USA:70 min

Country:

Yugoslavia

Language:

Serbian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Avala Film

Trivia:

The film was initially refused a UK certificate by the BBFC owing to shots of pubic hair, though the distributor himself partly ruined its chances by ignoring the film's creative aspects and instead telling censor John Trevelyan "I am sending you a film with a few tits in it. I don't think much of it but I can sell it to the sex theaters". It was eventually passed with minor cuts in 1969 and released fully uncut on video in 1996.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Zabranjeni bez zabrane (2007) (V)

Sly essay on human desire

That European cinema did things differently in the 1960s is not in doubt, as even directors from little-renowned cinematic cultures such as Yugoslavia delighted in new-found freedom. On one hand, "Switchboard Operator" is a simple tale of love, betrayal and tragedy in Belgrade, and as such captures some touching details about trapped lives in a totalitarian society. However, director Dusan Makavejev, clearly under the influence of Godard, adopts an offhand approach to his narrative, and introduces extraneous material at tangents to the main story. Most of this stuff is fascinating, particularly when he uses archive footage of Yugoslav history. Less successful are the interjections of two tedious academics, a sexologist and a criminologist, whose stern pronouncements jar against the film's capricious tone. Nonetheless, this is invigorating film-making which reaches into some strange regions. Despite an economical running time of 69 minutes, the film even finds time for a brief history of how the grey rat infested Europe!