Movies

The Happy Child is a music documentary by Igor Mirković about the emergence and development of the new wave movement in former Yugoslavia during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is also a nostalgic, partly autobiographical journey through the director’s coming-of-age years, which were shaped by the music and cultural changes of that era.

Through interviews, archival footage, and personal recollections, the documentary reconstructs the vibrant music scene that developed in cities such as Zagreb, Belgrade, and Ljubljana. It features key performers of the Yugoslav new wave scene, such as Azra, Film, Haustor, Prljavo Kazalište, Idoli, Električni Orgazam, and Pankrti. These performers reflect on that period from today’s perspective. Travelling across the former Yugoslavia and beyond, Mirković meets the musicians and figures who shaped the scene of his youth. In doing so, he creates a portrait of a generation and a time when music had a powerful social and cultural impact.