"Lisinski" (1944)
The first Croatian full-length feature sound film
(with English subtitles)

Directed by: Oktavijan Miletić
Written by: Milan Katić
Compositions by Lisinski adapted and conducted by Boris Papandopulo
Performed by:
Chorus and Ballet of Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb
Choir of Zagreb Radio
Zagreb Philharmonic

Starring:
Branko Špoljar as Vatroslav Lisinski
Lidija Dominković as Hedviga Ban
Srebrenka Jurinac as countess Sidonija Erdödy Rubido
Veljko Maričić as Albert Štriga

Other roles:
Tošo Lesić as Opat Krizmanić
Hinko Nučić as president of Croatian Music Institute in Zagreb
Tomislav Tanhofer as commentator

Bonus tracks: an example of restoring process and TV report about premiere of the film from 1944.
This film is a biography of Vatroslav Lisinski (1819. - 1854.), a Croatian composer who lived and worked in the tumultuous times of re-awakening of the Croatian national consciousness. At first, Lisinski wrote short compositions and patriotic songs, and in 1846. he composed the first Croatian opera, titled "Ljubav i zloba" (Love and malice). This opera was highly acclaimed by the audiences and received glowing reviews from Croatian intellectuals.
Too old to be admitted to the Prague Conservatory, Lisinski took private lessons at professor Pitsch's organ school in Prague, where he also composed his second opera, "Porin". Having broadened his musical knowledge, he returned to Zagreb full of hope, but was only gives a humiliating position of an unpaid supervisor at the Musical Institute. Disappointed and bitter, he swore never to compose again, and lived the rest of his life as an ordinary clerk, misunderstood and lonely. He died young, at only 35 years of age. As is often the case with great individuals, Lisinski's extraordinary talent and greatness were widely recognized only after his death.
The film was restored in 2008.

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