Designing Civil Identity in Post-War Culture: Yugoslav Partisan Films of the 1970s

This article explores the connection between the specific experience of countries’ participation in World War II and the formation of civil identity in new states, focusing on the case of Yugoslavia. Key factors in this process include the dominant role of the Partisan movement in the Balkans, the Tito government’s pursuit of relative autonomy within the socialist bloc, the new state’s ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity, and the specifics of the development of the film industry in Yugoslavia. The authorities aimed to establish unity in the new state through cultural projects aimed at constructing civil identity, including human relations. The study examines the stages of development in Yugoslav war cinema, emphasizing the moral, cognitive, and aesthetic aspects of civil identity construction in Partisan films of the 1970s. It analyzes the influence of these films, particularly their representations of warriors, enemies, and violence, on the formation of civil identity in post-war Yugoslavia.