19-II-1972.
On 19th the DC-99 appeared in force on the annual conference of Narodna Tehnika, with four cameras (three in use, one spare), the Bolex camera plus a couple of photo cameras, flash, floodlights. We worked a bit too fast, so who knows how it will turn out (did OK, in the end, though the negatives were thin). In the afternoon Dimče came for the keys, he needed the projector to show "Vuk sa Prokletija" movie at school (so that would be the big 16mm projector, probably the one from the police, as club didn't have one).
On the shot that's me with the Quartz camera. The curtain behind me hides the shop window, we don't need the whole street watching our gatherings, and if any equipment remains on the desks, may not a random thief be lured. On the stand to the right (which would probably hold a television set in normal circumstances) is the old vacuum tube tape recorder, and the metal sheen below it is the electric heater, which didn't quite do the job, this is an old building near center, the ceiling is at least 280 cm above the floor. Soon a catalytic gas furnace, actually just a heater, was procured and that one did manage to warm up all that space.
The shitty dry winter... we have a košava combined with lots of dust in the air. So on 21st I dropped by Veca and Sneca just to check whether they'd go, and then went on to Dom on my own. Met mostly the guys from ruža - Eči, Gradivoj, Patak and a few others. They were mostly drunk, so I walked away. Met three nice girls, all smallish but well rounded, and one greeted me by name. Wow! Wish I remembered who they were. Well, danced with that one and she said we were acquainted two weeks ago, though most of her gang were drunk at the time. Didn't hear much, just enjoyed the touch of the... well, firm tits pressed below my ribs, and everything. Too bad her butt was out of reach, too far low... smallish, really, up to my chin. The other two obviously didn't like me so they dragged her away to the other dance hall, which doesn't have much of an atmosphere (if you don't count the smoke), which I don't really like. (That's what they call the duvet hall, because once upon a time there was a duvet maker who had a workshop in the space where the stage is; the floor is slightly slanted so it's more a theatrical hall, and they do bring rows of seats when needed; it only looked awful when lights are on.) Then I managed to stay with some Belgrader girl who was really great, and seemed to be willing, but had some guy with her (brother, perhaps) who was the epitome of the Belgrader disdain for all things below their level, which includes folks from other cities, and he wouldn't leave for longer than ten seconds. So I eventually got out of the mood and went home.
On 20th stayed at DC-99 until 15:30, there was a lot of work to be done, and by the time I got home, I got intercepted by dad and Tejka in the car, him mad as a bobcat. I know, the old sin, I overstayed the time I said I'd be back. Happens annually. Just shut up and wait for it to pass. It helped that Tejka just kept blabbering, she made up with Pišta for purely atmospheric reasons, and he just needed to remember the curves and when he said that she knew what'll happen and so it did. Frankly, I listened on half ear.
On 22nd bought the "All things must pass" double album by George Harrison. Not too bad, only a year after the UK release, and I was so pissed off that it was not a triple album (changed my mind in 1999 when I had it complete... the third LP is junk, leftovers). The inner sides of the sleeve were... mnyah, just orange and green with the titles etc, no design at all. But the sound should be great, once the radio is fixed, it completely lacked bass this time.
On the way to school I carefully adjusted my step to avoid walking with Milica and Savka, and then additionally to avoid the two Smetovački cousins of Zova, even though they are considered to be good looking and interesting otherwise - for some reason I didn't like them. Then someone called me by name. Thought it could be Biljana but that's not her voice. Turned around, saw nothing but then there goes D.M. from across the street, running, catching her breath. We didn't stop chatting until we reached school. She's got a new tape recorder - perhaps I'll just bring the Harrison so she can copy it, eh?
On chemistry, almost the whole class used a kvisko, which was this professors one-time free pass. Everyone had one, and then could use it on the day he'd feel indisposed or just not ready for questioning. [The name came from the mascot of kviskoteka (and now I'm amazed that it existed so early on - it was very popular in the eighties), where each contestant had one, and it could be used at will to double the points earned in any part of the quiz.] I didn't use mine, and I guessed right - seeing as most of the class was "indisposed", specially all of those whom he wanted to question, he just moved to the next lesson. So they used theirs for nothing.
The big seminar of DC-99 was held around 26th and 27th, and it was mostly in afternoons and evenings (two days) so I didn't go with the gang to Belgrade to watch "Porgy and Bess" with Mi Čang (Miroslav Čangalović, probably the most famous opera singer at the time, at least he was often on TV). There was some guy from television who bragged with his camera, 1:6 zoom, in-prism measuring, well aided focusing, and a sound projector (super 8)... well many things there that I saw for the first time. Mouth watering. Among the lecturers there was an old new guy, i.e. he looked a bit older, but we saw him for the first time (Mirko Begović, a legend among the ranks of FKSV). Talked about editing, with an often repeated gesture where he'd clip the imaginary tape with two pairs of fingers acting as scissors, then move that bit of tape to the side, then manipulate the other pieces of tape likewise - a very plastic picture of what actually goes on in editing. Memorable.
On the shot I recognize also Skule, Pop, two younger girls whom I remember somewhat from Zmaj (of which one was really a chick and a half, I even happened to be with her in the club in the laboratory, dark as it should be, and defused the tension by saying „now I'm supposed to like hit on you... but don't have to if you won't“. Then later on the festival she hooked up with the more regular one of those two guys from the side team... meaning that it's not that she wasn't willing at all, just looked for someone older), and that snitch kid from VIII3.
Mentions: Biljana Grgurević, DC-99, Dimitrije Josin (Dimče), Dom omladine, Dušan Zlajin (Skule), Eči, Gradivoj Čović, košava, kviskoteka, Marko Popović (Pop), Milica Erceški, Patak, Pišta Rac, ruža, Savka Čajkanić, Slavica Tejin (Tejka), Smetovački, Snežana Stojanović (Sneca), Vera Stojanović (Veca), VIII3, Zdravko Smetovački (Zova), Zmaj, in serbian
8-VIII-2024 - 13-I-2025