The TV and film director Eduard Galić is probably the most productive Croatian director. He directed over 30 TV- dramas, 10 TV series, around 40 documentaries, 3 featured movies and more than 100 different TV forms in his 45 years of creative work Writing about Eduard Galić' work is similar to writing about the TV history because his TV series and movies marked more than 5 decades of the television in this region.... He was born in 1936 in Trogir. He finished the Classical Grammar school in Split and then the study of archeology and history at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb. He worked for 4 years as an assistant to the professor Milan Prelog at the Department of Medieval Archeology. He then started to be interested in directing during his history and archeology studies, which will make the significant mark on his directing career. He was actively involved in directing since 1963. At the beginning of his career, Eduard Galić directed documentaries about monumental heritage. His first important TV work include drama "Propali dvori" (Ruined Castles) based on Jasko Leskovar novel, "Pisac Bartebly" based on Herman Melville's work and "Sjenke" (Shadows) based on Franjo Leskovar Kiš novel. He also directed TV dramas like "Posljednji StipančićiW based on Vjenceslav Novak novel, "Susret pred odlazak" based on Krešo Novosel script, "Prikupljanje hrabrosti" (first Rade Šerbedžija act) based on Ivo Štivičić script, "Prije potopa" based on Antun Šoljan script. The famous Croatian actor of that time like Fabijan Šovagović, Božidar Boban, Ivo Šubić, Ivo Serdar, Ljubica Jović, Helena Buljan, Špiro Guberina, Nada Subotić took a role in this drama. He also directed a number of documentaries during this period including Sunt lacrimae rerum, Predvečerje, Večer documentary on problems in Istria, short feature movie „Osveta“ and movie "Klesari", which prompted prof. Hrvoje Turković to include Galić in the anthology of Croatian documentary. He directed his first featured movie "Crne Ptice" in 1967. featuring Fabijan Šovagović, Rade Šerbedžija, Voja Mirić, Ivo Serdar, Iva Marjanović, Relja Bašić, Vanja Drach,Tonči Vrdoljak He directed two TV series at the end of 60s. These were "Očenašek" based on Vjekoslav Majer novel and "Sam Čovjek" based on Ivo Kozarčanin novel where main roles were played by Špiro Guberina and Rade Šerbedžija During 1970s Galić started work on big TV series, which are probably the most famous part of his work. These series included: Dimities Tucović, Svetozar Marković, Nikola Tesla. They all featured the best actors from former Yugoslavia. The most important series "Izdanci iz opaljenog grma" based on Veljko Petrović story and Galić script. They won the award for the best TV series in Belgrade studio of all time. He also directed the movie about canonization of blessed Nikola Tavelić.
During the 70s he also started directing the different music plays such as Dramolet po Ćiribiliju scripted by Milan Grgić and music produced by Alfi Kabiljo. He also directed the only church play broadcasted on TV before 1990s Muka sv. Margarite. It is the dramatized saint’s legend written at the end of Middle Age. Music was written by Anđelko Klobučar. The interesting fact in this play is that beside Dubravka Zubović, the actors Mustafa Nadarević and Vlatko Zulić also sang in the play Galić directed in 1978 "Tomo Bakaran" scripted by Ivo Štivičić and based on motifs from Krleža stories. This movie, consisting of two parts, is one of the best Galić' accomplishments and marks the beginning of his friendship with Krleža. Krleža proposed to Galić to direct the TV serial based on his novel "Banket u Blitvi". Although Galić and writer Ivan Kušan almost finished the project, but in the meantime Krleža died, and HTV (Croatian Television) manager Puharić stopped the project without any explanation. This set-back did not stop Galić, so he continued in the 80s to work with Ivo Štivičić based on Krleža's work. The result of this effort is anthological "Put u Vučjak", TV series consisting of 15 episodes. He also directed TV serial "Nepokoreni Grad" and 3-hour long TV serial "Hrvatski narodni preporod" about Croatian national revival. This was the first time that famous Croatian reveille "Još Hrvatska ni propala" was played after 1945. Galić was tied to Krleža work very closely, so in addition to directing movies based on his work, he also directed TV features movie Predvečerje puno skepse which represented the overview of Krleža political and intellectual engagement from the World War I till 1970s. The basis for this movie were the books of Enes Čengić conversation with Krleža. He always came back to Krleža, so he directed documentary on Krleža "Povratak bez poante" in 2000. scripted by Vlaho Bogišić Galić also used modern authors work in his creative career- Vježbe iz gađanja, Talog, Gorčina u grlu, Boksači are only four of several dramas that he directed from Zvonimir Majdak work.
He also directed Božićna bajka written by Mate Matešić, Olovna pričest by Borislav Vujčić, Ispovijed koju niste zavrijedili by Slobodan Novak, Šokica by Tomislav Kovačević, Adagio and Requiem za Borisa by Lada Kaštelan, Ljubavi Georga Washingtona and Zaboravi Hollywood by Miro Gavran, Starci by Antun Šoljan, Svila, Škare by Irena Vrkljan, Rasprodaja by Čedo Prica, Sokak triju ruža by Ivan Aralica, and Razbijena Vaza by Palma Katalinić,... During the 1990s, before the war, he directed drama "Tuđinac" written by Dinko Šimunović. During this period he directed number of shows tied to the war like "Ratna poezija" written by different Croatian authors , "Preobraženje" written by A.B Šimić and produced in cooperation with his friend, actor and painter Darko Ćurdo. He directed Vukovarska pasija i Križni put (about last three days of defense of Vukovar and massacre on Ovčara) and "Nazarečanin" about Jesus' life based on Bible. These were recored in war-torn Vukovar as a tribute to Vukovar. His creative work during 90s all the way to 2008 is primarily focused on suffering of Vukovar. He finished first 10 episodes (out of 30 planned) of documentary "Heroji Vukovara" that show who are really the people that defended Vukovar.
It is easy to conclude from Galić work who are his favorite actors. These certainly are: Rade Šerbedžija, Fabijan Šovagović Mustafa Nadarević, Miljenko Brlečić, Alma Prica, Matija Prskalo, Ivica Vidovič, Špiro Guberina, Zvonimir Lepetić, Edo Peročević, Dragan Despot, Joško Ševo, Božidar Alić and one of the most favorite Ivo Serdar. Galić likes actors, he gives them incredible freedom, which can cause problems sometime, but fortunately he worked with actors that created only a few problems. Galić also worked with the number of Belgrade actors especially Petar Božović, Đorđe Jelisić, Bato Stojković and Ljubo Tadić. Galić creative work is both impressive and diverse. He directed the novel adjustments and frequently he adjusted certain work for TV, including original scripts for drama, but certainly tandem Galić-Štivičić should be pointed out. They produced different types of TV broadcast including "Planetarij", show about culture and society, "Zvijezde iznad", interviews with famous Croatian actors that public knew little about, their beginnings, work and memories. This cooperation was especially successful in adjustment of Krleža work for TV production.
Galić is among his friends known for his love for classical music and opera. They say it is addiction, not just love, because there are only few things that Galić does not have in his music library on CD, DVD or tapes. It is interesting to mention that editors of classical music radio show "Šišmiš" used his library to play music on radio. He has also shown his love for classical music working with Anna Maria Dorichich, editor of Classical Music Program at HRT. He directed portraits of musicians such as Sena Jurinac, Tomislav Neralić, Ivo Pogorelić, Boris Papandopulo, Andjelko Klobučar, Mario Penzar, Dunja Vejzović, Pavle, Valter, Maja Dešpalj, Bruno Bjelinski, Dragica Martinis, Boris Martinović, Ljiljana Molnar- Talajić and lastly Marjan Jerbić. He had special admiration for Jerbić , although his work was not very much publicized in Croatia. His admiration for Jerbić he shared with Dorichich so they produced music pearls J.S. Bach Cello suites Nos. 1-6 and Koralne predigre interpreted by Marjan Jerbić. They also produced series of shows "Šampanj, Šampanj" one of the best New Year's show ever. Their cooperation also produced two large Boris Papandopulo projects Muka našeg gospodina Krista po Ivanu and Franc Liszt „Križni put“ under conductor Igor Kuljerić Galić had good cooperation with Dimitrije Popović when Molitva and Sedam posljednjih riječi Isusa Krista with Jospeh Hayden were produced. This does not represent the end of Galić interest in Croatian artists. He produced his vision of their work including: Munir Vejzović, Ivo Šebalj, Matko Trebotić, Zlatko Kauzlarić Atač, Ivan Lacković-Croata, Zvonimir Lončarić, Kažimir Hraste, Vatroslav Kuljiš, Ivan Lovrenčić, Zlatko Prica, Anton Gliha, Ljerka Njerž, Petar Barišić, Matko Mijić and others. This is just a smaller part of Galić fruitful and diverse creative work.
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