Continuing our series on international classics filmed in Croatia, we bring you the story of an Istrian town and a Hollywood actor who, metaphorically and literally, returned to his roots
We’re officially on a roll: since we’ve scratched the surface of the mindblowing list of movies and TV shows that were filmed in Croatia in the last 50 years, there’s been no shortage of cinematic surprises coming our way.
So far, we’ve had the village of Lekenik that hosted the 1971 classic Fiddler on the Roof, and Vižinada in Istria that played the French village of Clermont in the 1969 war comedy Kelly’s Heroes. As it turns out, if you were looking to do a short film-themed tour of the region, you wouldn’t have to look very far: meet Draguć, an enchanting gem of a town perched on a picturesque hill in central Istria. Having visited Draguć on several occasions, I can honestly say the landscape strikes me as something out of a postcard every single time; you’re driving along the local roads, the view constantly blocked by a line of trees, when out of the blue, you’re met with this:
Stunning. It comes as no surprise that whomever I’m travelling with always hits the breaks, gets out of the car and starts snapping away. It’s hard to resist.
Founded in the 9th century, the settlement was first ruled by Istrian margraves, then went on to live through quite a historical turmoil: in the following centuries, Draguć has been handed down to Aquileian patriarchs, dukes of Pazin and the Republic of Venice, its population suffering multiple blows of plague epidemic and a cholera outbreak in 1855. And yet, the quiet village persisted, retaining its authentic appearance to this day.
Take the main access road to the centre, and you’ll be met with some amazing examples of well-preserved religious architecture – an impressive number, actually, considering the settlement gives off an impression of fitting in the palm of your hand. You’ll first pass by the small cemetery church of St Elisha, a Romanesque edifice built in the 12th century; just a bit down the road, there’s the 17th-century church of Our Lady of the Rosary. It’s only then you’ll actually enter the village, arriving at the centrepiece – the parish church of the Holy Cross.
A bit excessive? You haven’t seen it all yet. My personal favourite is to be found a bit outside the western side of Draguć: a small chapel of St Rocco that dates back to the beginning of the 16th century and houses a stunning fresco cycle painted by a local master Anthony of Padua. In order to see it, however, you need to know who in the village holds the key to the chapel – and it’s a sort of honour to be presented with this particular piece of information. I’m not telling.
Chapel of St Rocco
Forgive me for straying from the topic – we were talking about filming locations, weren’t we? Unlike Lekenik, Draguć has no Academy Awards tied to its name, but it does boast a long tradition of hosting motion pictures featuring some well-known names, such as Gérard Depardieu, Nastassja Kinski, Michael York and Karl Malden, not to mention a long line of distinguished Croatian film stars.
To me, Malden stands out as the most interesting figure in this context. You probably know him for winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’; he’s also known for classics such as ‘On the Waterfront’, ‘Baby Doll’, ‘How the West Was Won’ and ‘The Cincinnati Kid’. Always having thought of him as a Hollywood star, I was surprised to find out Malden actually has roots in this part of the world, having been born to a Serbian father and a Czech mother in 1912. His birth name? Mladen Sekulovich.
Here’s where Draguć comes in: in 1982, the charming Istrian village hosted a Yugoslavian production titled ‘Twilight Time’. The drama stars Malden in the leading role as a man of Yugoslavian origin who had emigrated to the US, then had to return to his hometown to raise his two grandchildren. The character’s name? Marko Sekulovich. All things considered, even without seeing the film, you just know there’s an authentic feeling to Malden’s performance. Here’s a clip from the film:
And to think I’ve just stated Draguć has no Oscar winners tied to its name… I stand corrected. Learn more about ‘the Istrian Hollywood’ here.
