Bukovac: Light, Roots and Wings
documentary film
At the end of the 19th century, Zagreb, through major cultural advances and the development of art, culture, and science, began—despite the difficult times under the rigid political rule of Ban Khuen-Héderváry, but also with contributions from that same Ban and Dr. Izidor Kršnjavi to increasingly approach the cultural and living standards of European metropolises. In 1893, the great painter and traveler Vlaho Bukovac arrived in the city.
The thematic axis of the documentary film “BUKOVAC – Light, Roots and Wings” is built on the parallel rhythm of the mutual relationship and development of Bukovac and Zagreb. Zagreb was successfully rebuilding and recovering from the devastating great earthquake of November 1880 (with parallel documentary references to the 2020 earthquake). Bukovac made an essential contribution to shaping the artistic and cultural life of Zagreb at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.
In Zagreb, Bukovac founded the Society of Croatian Artists, created the new Zagreb Colorful School, contributed to the construction of the Art Pavilion, and painted three major patriotic compositions with national themes “Gundulić’s Dream,” “The Croatian National Revival,” and “Dubravka” commissioned by Izidor Kršnjavi. The great painter came to Zagreb at a time after the major earthquake, when the city was shocked, damaged, and open to vision and progress. Once they had given each other all they could, Bukovac moved on.
Željko Rogošić
director
Croatian, Hungarian, German
languages
English
subtitle
88 min
lenght
2025
year of production
“Numerous sources, such as artworks, historical figures and data, archival materials, and the possibilities of depicting events on film—encouraged me to develop the script and creative concept for portraying the five turbulent years that Bukovac, already an esteemed painter living in Paris, chose to devote to Zagreb and to both Zagreb’s and Croatia’s culture.”
Željko Rogošić
director
“Above all, the film is about how Zagreb became a serious city and the largest exhibition of Vlaho Bukovac’s works ever shown in one place. In the film, we can learn a great deal about Bukovac and Zagreb, but we also have the opportunity to reflect on how, as a society, we treat the most exceptional among us.”
Tamara Babun Zovko
producer
“The film “BUKOVAC – Light, Roots and Wings” is more than a chronicle of Bukovac’s creative period, as it portrays an entire era, its defining features, its atmosphere, its protagonists, and the pivotal moments that shaped the Zagreb we inherit today.”
dr. sc. Petra Vugrinec
expert associate
18.09.2025. / Zagreb / Galerija Klovićevi dvori
21.09.2025. / Cavtat / Kuća Bukovac
27.09.2025. / Dubrovnik / Kinematografi Dubrovnik u suradnji s Umjetničkom galerijom Dubrovnik
26.11.2025. / Split / Kinoteka Zlatna vrata u suradnji s Galerijom umjetnina Split
Stills
