A Holy Place (1990)
"Sveto mesto" (original title)

Sveto mesto (A Holy Place, 1990) is based on a literary classic, Nikolai Gogol's 1835 short story, 'Viy'. However, Kadijevic uses it only as a starting point for his own explorations into ... See full summary »

Director:

Djordje Kadijevic

Writers:

Nikolai Gogol (story), Djordje Kadijevic

Stars:

Dragan Jovanovic, Branka Pujic, Aleksandar Bercek

Cast

Credited cast:
Dragan Jovanovic	...	Pop Toma
Branka Pujic	...	Katarina
Aleksandar Bercek	...	Gospodar Zupanski
Mira Banjac	...	Gospodarica Zupanski
Danilo Lazovic	...	Doros
Maja Sabljic	...	Lenka
Predrag Miletic	...	Nikita
Rados Bajic	...	Spira
Dragan Petrovic	...	Bogoslov
Dusan Janicijevic	...	Upravnik skole
Mihajlo-Bata Paskaljevic
Igor Pervic	...	Marko Bogoslov
Dragan Zaric	...	Slikar
Slavoljub Plavsic-Zvonce
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dragomir Stanojevic	...	(as Dragomir Stanojevic-Bata Kameni)

Storyline

Sveto mesto (A Holy Place, 1990) is based on a literary classic, Nikolai Gogol's 1835 short story, 'Viy'. However, Kadijevic uses it only as a starting point for his own explorations into the dark side of eroticism. Gogol's story deals with Toma, a reluctant theology student who is forced to read the Psalms over an (un)dead girl for three nights in a row. All the while supernatural forces are trying to grab him from the Holy Circle drawn on the church floor. Kadijevic adapts and enriches 'Viy' by inventing a new backstory for the witch-girl and her father. The dead girl, Catherine (unwittingly killed in the prologue, while in the shape of a hag), is referred to as a 'saint' and her father is a harsh and unpleasant man. Kadijevic departs further from the original story, and introduces an excess of perversity and horror more reminiscent of the Anglo-American gothic than the milder Slavic attempts in a similar mode. Incest is the name of the game here.

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Plot Keywords:

father | incest | church | witch | witchcraft | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Details

Country:

Yugoslavia

Language:

Serbo-Croatian

Release Date:

29 September 1990 (Yugoslavia)

Also Known As:

A Holy Place

Company Credits

Production Co:

Magna Plus, Radiotelevizija Beograd

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Black Sunday (1960)

User Reviews

Excellent! Another great chiller from the maker of "Leptirica". .

It took Mr. Kadijevic almost 20 years to bring to screen another masterwork. A great Gogol's story and a lot of style and skill. A scary stuff they (he) used to make and ,even then, so rarely. I shall see it again.