Čedo

''Čedo'' is a documentary film about Čedo Šaraba, a man pushed off the stage, the likes of whom we see daily in streets, parks and trams, collecting plastic bottles and scrounging money.

Čedo is a documentary film about Čedo Šaraba, a man pushed off the stage, the likes of whom we see daily in streets, parks and trams, collecting plastic bottles and scrounging money. Čedo is 45. He is homeless, alcoholic and drug addict with no legal income. His mother is a Croat and his father is a Montenegrin. Čedo's parents moved to Zagreb in the 1950s: mother came from Croatian Podravina and father came from Bosnia. Čedo was born in 1965 (he was named after his father's brother). His mother worked as bookbinder. She also cleaned houses of wealthy citizens. Father was a machinist, but he never really worked: he was a bum, alcoholic and womanizer. Besides Čedo, he had at least five more children. He never recognized them because they were all born out of wedlock. He only recognized Čedo (who has his family name) and his stepsister, who lives in Switzerland. He lost his life in a bizarre accident: while jumping off a train, he ran into a lamp post and died.

At the time of his father's death, Čedo was 16 months old and his troubles were yet to begin. At the age of 12 he started to drink. At 16, he was diagnosed with alcoholism. Although a Catholic, baptized by Franciscan monks, he and his mother were harassed because of their family name in the 1990s. Čedo's first name was not very popular either. The 1990s also saw him becoming addicted to heroin. Čedo Šaraba and a few of his mates agreed to tell their life stories.

Heroin__1

Nikola Strašek

A film director with an exceptional sensibility for the people from margins of society. He first attracted critical attention when he made his multiply-awarded documentary ''I'll Kill Ya!'' (2007).
Original title: Čedo
Year of production: 2012.
Screening time: 52'
Format: DCP, DigiBeta
Production: Factum
Co-producer: Zagreb film
Co-financier: Croatian Audiovisual Centre
Written and directed by: Nikola Strašek
Produced by: Nenad Puhovski
Cinematography by: Dragan Šiša
Edited by: Iva Mrkić
Score: Afion
Colorist: Dragan Šiša
Production assistant: Vanja Daskalović

Festivals & Awards:

Sarajevo Film Festival 2012; Zagreb Film Festival 2012; ZagrebDox 2013; MEDFILM Festival 2013, Rome - New Croatian Film programme