Kusturica: We Serbs are not united and are presented as criminals

Emir Kusturica, currently visiting Armenia, gave an interview to the local newspaper Armenpress in which he stated that there are many similarities between Serbia and Armenia, but also one difference, reports the Patria News Agency.

-There is one big difference between us: you Armenians are united, you are known as a people who survived genocide and you have a state that is a collective response to everything that happened. Serbs have a different history. Serbs have been subjected to regular attacks, a genocide that no one talks about, but we Serbs have not united and are presented as criminals, instead of victims, Kusturica told Armenpress.

-During World War II, 800,000 Serbs were killed. There are books and reports about this, but for Europe, it's as if it never happened. Those who know about this fact ignore it. I like coming to Armenia, not only because of everything I see but also because of your way of life; everything is unambiguous with you. When I was in Turkey, I was attacked and told that I was not welcome because of my stance regarding Serbs. I replied that they don't have to worry about genocide (against Serbs), as they themselves killed millions of Armenians during World War I."

Emir Kusturica accepted Orthodoxy and took the baptismal name Nemanja in 2005, the Armenian newspaper writes.

-My family was partially converted to Islam, but still practiced Orthodoxy. No one in my family practiced Islam. I was not converted, I was just baptized, he said.

-My predictions are that we Christians are on the verge of extinction. When I was baptized, Christianity was not in a good position, but since I believe in culture, I also believe in God. I believe that he manifests himself through culture, Kusturica emphasized.

Incidentally, Kusturica will hold a concert in Armenia with "The No Smoking Orchestra".