Tito and Me

In the bustling heart of 1950s Belgrade, a ten‑year‑old boy named Zoran lives in a cramped, multigenerational apartment that hums with the competing rhythms of daily life. His parents, an artist‑pianist and a ballerina, fill the home with music and movement, while the extended family—grandparents, aunt, and uncle—add a layer of bustling domesticity that leaves the young protagonist both comforted and squeezed. The city outside is painted with the bright colors of socialist optimism; posters of a towering leader dominate every wall, and school lessons turn the nation’s founder into a heroic figure that Zoran embraces with the pure, unwavering faith of a child. At the same time, his parents’ quiet skepticism offers a subtle counter‑point, hinting at the underlying contradictions of the era.

School becomes the arena where Zoran’s admiration takes a daring public form. When a school‑wide essay contest asks pupils to write about the revered president, his heartfelt piece wins, earning him a coveted place on the “Revolutionary Trails” march—a field trip that promises a pilgrimage to Kumrovec, the modest village where the leader was born. Alongside him is his older classmate Jasna, an orphan whose presence adds a flutter of youthful crush, and a small entourage of classmates whose personalities hint at the blend of camaraderie and competition that will shape the journey.

The atmosphere of the film balances reverent nostalgia with a gentle, often comic, critique of the propaganda that shapes everyday existence. The presence of an imposing party overseer, Raja, underscores the subtle pressure of ideology without eclipsing the children’s innocent curiosity. As the group prepares to leave the familiar streets of Belgrade for the symbolic countryside, the narrative hints at a rite of passage where personal dreams, familial bonds, and the weight of history intertwine.

Through Zoran’s eyes, the story offers a vivid portrait of a boy caught between heroic myth and the ordinary world of art, love, and family. The tone remains both playful and wistful, inviting the audience to glimpse the absurdities and tenderness of a society where larger‑than‑life symbols coexist with the simple, private aspirations of a child.

Last Updated: November 29, 2025 at 04:43