Born 1933 in Vučedol, Montenegro, Papić graduated from Zagreb’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He began pursuing film as an assistant director to Veljko Bulajić, among others, on films Train without a Timetable (Vlak bez voznog reda, 1959) and Boiling City (Uzavreli grad, 1961). His directorial debut was an episode in the omnibus Key (Ključ, 1965), and in 1967 he directed his first feature narrative Illusion (Iluzija). Several legendary achievements in Croatian cinema ensued – Handcuffs (Lisice, 1970), Playing Hamlet in the Village of Mrduša donja (Predstava Hamleta u selu Mrduša donja, 1974) and The Rat Savior (Izbavitelj, 1976). Papić's works are emblematic for the Croatian auteur cinema of the late 1960s and 1970s, which imbued Croatian film with a dark and raw sensibility simillar to that of the Serbian black wave (crni talas). Open criticism towards the Yugoslav history and politics brought Papić a series of problems with the government and, in consequence, prohibited him from presenting Handcuffs in the official selection of Cannes Film Festival.

Papić also made numerous legendary documentary films, in which he relied on the methods of cinéma vérité. The most famous are When My Knife Strikes You (Kad te moja čakija ubode, 1968), Let’s Hear Our Voice Too (Nek se čuje i naš glas, 1971, awarded in Oberhausen), Special Trains (Specijalni vlakovi, 1972) and A Little Village Show (Mala seoska priredba, 1986), considered by many as one of the most successful Croatian documentary films of all times.

Papić’s films were successfully screened internationally, as well: Handcuffs were presented at Quinzaine des realisateurs, a parallel section of Cannes Film Festival, Playing Halmet... participated in Berlinale’s official selection, The Rat Savior won the main award at Fantasport in 1982 and My Uncle’s Legacy (Život sa stricem, 1988) was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of foreign language film. Papić’s latest film – Flower Square – premiered this summer at Pula Film Festival, winning the Freedom of Speech Award at the Montreal World Film Festival.

In 2006 Papić won the Vladimir Nazor Award for lifetime achievement in cinema and two years earlier he was given Grand Prix Special des Amériques at the Montreal World Film Festival.

A month ago we laughed together at the premiere of The Priest’s Children. Krsto’s illness lasted shorter than one film distribution. He did not live to see his last premiere. I am angry at death the killer and unable to say anything wise. He was strong and young, and at the same time he was a classic of invisible 80 years of age. Great authors die young, which has nothing to do with age, said Hrvoje Hribar, Head of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, in his condolences.

A memorial service for Krsto Papić takes place on Tuesday, 12 February, 11am, at Tuškanac cinema in Zagreb.

Photo taken from hfs.hr.