Watch The Happy Child For Free

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

This is a rock'n'roll documentary which was long time in making and even more awaited. The story of making a Yugo-documentary on this subject was floating like an open question for so long, but until now no-one had a courage and dedication to realize it. Igor Mirkovic a Croatian journalist and director bravely tackled this subject with fabulous research. Describing the 1980's when YUGOSLAVIA was still one country and when the music was so vital to the everyday life, especially after the death of a longtime president Tito was not an easy subject. Fortunately this was probably the period when the local music scene was up to the highest standards. Everyone suffering the present music situation on these territories will gladly confirm this. These were the times of some immortal groups which deeply rooted themselves into the Yugoslavian rock'n'roll history. The so called "new-wave" of punk and heavy rock started with groups like AZRA, PANKRTI, BIJELO DUGME, FILM, ELEKTRICNI ORGAZAM, PATROLA, HAUSTOR, IDOLI and PRLJAVO KAZALISTE. The title of the movie is lifted from one of the hits too. This "new-wave" outburst of so many quality groups was nothing like the music of Duran Duran or Depeche Mode it was much closer to the Sex Pistols, Clash, and Smiths energy. With all the raw impulses it describes the upbringing of the last generation of socialistic teenagers. It's not a poetic movie, or rock-history lesson from former Yugoslavian tradition it is simply a subjective view of an individual and his memories from that time, from a point of a witness not a performer. Juxtaposed with fantastic archive clips are more less all the survivors of that era and their anecdotes, where they do share some intimate moments and distant memories. It's a pity that some of the legend's did refuse to contribute to this movie but probably checking it out in some cinema they will realize that they were just omitted but not forgotten, and they know who they are. The whole filming process was gigantic effort too, because after the dissolution of former Yugoslavia everyone parted its ways. So chasing down all the artists all over the world deserves praise. Different locations, different memories, and very different attitudes, might produce a total mixture of scenes, but it's the music which is holding this movie firmly and tightly together and from the opening intro over the credits a viewer is caught in this brilliant soundtrack of genuinely catchy tunes. Lucky Kid is a must see documentary which I personally would include in the elementary schools roster nowadays for the education purpose. A monument to the generation that was growing up with a strong belief that this music was more important than any stupid politics, or money, or even life, and I wish if it just stayed that way.

Yugoslavia does not exist anymore. But the music from the partly repressed, partly happy times (late 70's and early 80's) still exists, and time has been very kind to it. And the people who made that music are now older, one foot in present, another in the past, some wiser, some changed. They are now scattered all over the world. This movie brings most of them back together, and realizes that the crucial piece of puzzle is now damaged, a ghost, but life, imperfect, goes on. It also brings back the feel of Zagreb (ahh, that attitude!), and to some extent Belgrade (ohh, more attitude!), of those times, their culture, dialects, language, teenage angst (Communist repressions vs. punk and alternative), a bit of an isolated, naive, even arrogant idealism, and a lot of self-confidence and passion to change the world for the better.It is a wonderful trip back. Everyone in ex-Yu lands should watch it. It brings back the state of mind that most people had in early 80's -- the one just preceding the late 80's disbelief and denial that the advertised civil war could ever, ever really happen.

This is my first comment on a movie and this movie's first comment. In this rockumentary we see Igor Mirkovic, actually a political journalist, documenting the new wave of rock/punk music in ex-Yugoslavia which took place at the end of the 70's and the beginning of the 80's. This revolution had great significance in Croatia and the rest of Yugoslav countries as perhaps the appearance of The Beatles or The Rolling Stones in the UK. This movie probably won't be of any interest to you if you haven't heard some of the bands this movie is all about (Azra, Film, Prljavo Kazaliste, Haustor...). Mirkovic interviews his teenage idols and describes how they influenced his generation while adding archive footage from concerts and historical events. Sretno dijete (The Happy Child) is actually a title of a Prljavo Kazaliste's song. The DVD has some bonus material in the shape of interviews, discarded scenes and music videos from Azra, Haustor, Prljavo Kazaliste, Elektricni Orgazam and Idoli. A must see!...