The Fragrance of Wild Flowers

A well known theater and movie actor, dissatisfied with his conditions at home and at the theater suddenly stops the dress rehearsal of a play in which he has one of the main roles, and goes on the Danube to visit his friend, a boatman transporting bricks on his small barge from a brick plant in a poor settlement to Belgrade. This unexpected action confuses everyone in the actor’s environment. Everybody sets out to the Danube in order to find out the real reason for the actor’s odd behavior and to find out when he will return to normal life. The actor refuses to talk, stating that he only knows what he does not want! The young director, who had started working on filming a portrait of the actor prior, doesn’t know what to do. The opening night is postponed.

Directed by Srđan Karanović, The Fragrance of Wild Flowers leans on a strong ensemble — Ljuba Tadić, Aleksandar Berček, Olga Spiridonović — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1977.