Emir Kusturica
Biography
Emir Nemanja Kusturica is a Serbian filmmaker, actor, and musician known for internationally acclaimed feature films. Born on November 24, 1954, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, he is recognized for sixty-five known credits with a primary focus on directing. Kusturica has won the Palme d'Or at Cannes twice, specifically for When Father Was Away on Business and Underground. He is also a Commander of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Since the mid-2000s, his primary residence has been Drvengrad, a village located in the Mokra Gora region of Serbia, where he had portions of the historic village reconstructed for his film Life Is a Miracle.
Career overview
Emir Kusturica is a Serbian filmmaker, actor, and musician born on November 24, 1954, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Recognized for several internationally acclaimed feature films, his directing career is marked by notable international honors, including winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes twice. He received this prestigious award for the films When Father Was Away on Business and Underground. In addition to these festival victories, he is a Commander of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Since the mid-2000s, Kusturica has maintained his primary residence at Drvengrad, a village located in the Mokra Gora region of Serbia. He had portions of this historic village reconstructed specifically for his film Life Is a Miracle. Across his professional background listed on the Movie Database, he holds sixty-five known credits with a primary focus on directing.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
92 titles- How I Waited for the Sun (2025) as Himself
- Chaplin: Spirit of the Tramp (2025) as Self
- "I Will Revenge This World With Love" - S. Paradjanov (2024) as Himself
- Dule Savić and the Silence in London (2023) as Himself
- Srpska: The Struggle for Freedom (2022) as Self
- Scenes from the Life of BH Film (2022) as Himself
- Good Morning, the Wind Blows (2020) as Self
- Balkan Line (2019) as Taxi driver
- El Pepe: A Supreme Life (2019) as Self
- El Pepe: A Supreme Life (2019) Director
- Untold Stories of Eastern Europe (2018)
- CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel (2018) as Self
- Local Heroes - World Talents (2018) as Himself
- To Make a Comedy Is No Fun (2016) as Self
- On the Milky Road (2016) as Kosta
- On the Milky Road (2016) Director
- On the Milky Road (2016) Writer
- The Legend of the Palme d'Or (2015) as Self
- The Ice Forest (2014) as Secondo
- Words with Gods (2014) as Monk (ep. "Our Life")
- Words with Gods (2014) Director
- Words with Gods (2014) Writer
- The Scapegoat (2013) as Stojil
- Who Is This Kusturica? (2013) as Himself
- Balkan Spirit (2013) as Self - Director
- The Whirl (2012) as Bogdanov otac
- 7 Days in Havana (2012) as Actor (segment "Jam Session")
- Walter (2012) as Himself
- Kusturica - Balkan's Bad Boy (2012) as Himself
- Nicostratos the Pelican (2011) as Démosthène
- Mozzarella Stories (2011) Executive Producer
- Farewell (2009) as Sergei Grigoriev
- Maradona by Kusturica (2008) as Self
- Maradona by Kusturica (2008) Director
- Maradona by Kusturica (2008) Writer
- Promise Me This (2007) Director
- Promise Me This (2007) Producer
- Promise Me This (2007) Writer
- Le Temps des Gitans Punk Opera (2007) Director
- All the Invisible Children (2006) Director
- All the Invisible Children (2006) Executive Producer
- Gucha! (2006) Producer
- Secret Journey (2006) as Harold
- TropiAbbas (2005) Music
- Le court des grands (2005) Director
- Emir Kusturica and the No Smoking Orchestra - Live is a Miracle in Buenos Aires (2005) as Himself
- Life Is a Miracle (2004) Director
- Life Is a Miracle (2004) Producer
- Life Is a Miracle (2004) Writer
- The Good Thief (2003) as Vladimir
- Strawberries in the Supermarket (2003) as General
- Strawberries in the Supermarket (2003) Producer
- Strawberries in the Supermarket (2003) Executive Producer
- Chaplin Today: The Circus (2003) as Self
- Super 8 Stories (2001) as Self
- Super 8 Stories (2001) Director
- The Widow of Saint-Pierre (2000) as Joseph Auguste Néel
- Emir Kusturica (2000) as Himself
- Vivement dimanche (1998) as Self
- Black Cat, White Cat (1998) Director
- Black Cat, White Cat (1998) Writer
- Shooting Days: Emir Kusturica Directs Underground (1996) as Himself
- Once Upon a Time There Was a Country (1996) as Švercer oružja
- Once Upon a Time There Was a Country (1996) Director
- Once Upon a Time There Was a Country (1996) Writer
- Once Upon a Time There Was a Country (1996) Creator
- Underground (1995) as Dealer
- Underground (1995) Director
- Underground (1995) Screenplay
- Arizona Dream (1993) Director
- Arizona Dream (1993) Story
- Bolo (1991) Thanks
- Time of the Gypsies (1990) Director
- Time of the Gypsies (1990) Creator
- Time of the Gypsies (1988) Writer
- Time of the Gypsies (1988) Director
- Byzantine Empire '88 (1988) as Mangup u tramvaju
- The Magpie Strategy (1987) Writer
- The Worker's Life (1987) Writer
- When Father Was Away on Business (1985) Director
- The Guldbagge Awards (1981) as Self - Best Foreign Language Film winner
- Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (1981) Director
- Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (1981) Writer
- Buffet Titanic (1979) Writer
- Buffet Titanic (1979) Director
- The Brides Are Coming (1978) Director
- Guernica (1978) Director
- Guernica (1978) Writer
- Walter Defends Sarajevo (1972) as Omladinac
- Crime No Punishment Director
- The Woman from Čurug Director
- The Woman from Čurug Writer
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Emir Kusturica best known for?
Emir Kusturica is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Balkan Line (2019), El Pepe: A Supreme Life (2019), El Pepe: A Supreme Life (2019), The Ice Forest (2014).
When and where was Emir Kusturica born?
Emir Kusturica was born on November 24, 1954 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How many credits does Emir Kusturica have?
Emir Kusturica has accumulated over 92 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1972 to 2025.
What is Emir Kusturica's background in cinema and television?
Emir Nemanja Kusturica is a Serbian filmmaker, actor, and musician known for internationally acclaimed feature films. Born on November 24, 1954, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, he is recognized for sixty-five known credits with a primary focus on directing. Kusturica has won the Palme d'Or at Cannes twice, specifi...
Emir Kusturica by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Underground (1995) as Dealer — aged about 40
- Balkan Line (2019) as Taxi driver — aged about 64
- El Pepe: A Supreme Life (2019) as Self — aged about 64
- Walter Defends Sarajevo (1972) as Omladinac — aged about 17
- The Ice Forest (2014) as Secondo — aged about 59
- Vivement dimanche (1998) as Self — aged about 43
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