Davor Dujmović

Davor Dujmović (20 September 1969 – 31 May 1999) was a Bosnian Serb actor best known for his memorable roles in Emir Kusturica's movies as Mirza in When Father Was Away on Business, Perhan in Time of the Gypsies and Bata in Underground.

Born into a poor working-class family, Dujmović's acting career started purely by chance in 1984 when Miroslav Mandić, one of Emir Kusturica's assistant directors, approached young Davor at a Sarajevo kafana called Dalmacija near Markale marketplace about being in a movie. Dujmović happened to be there with his father who operated a food stand at the marketplace. Kusturica was casting roles for When Father Was Away on Business at the time, and, upon seeing the young man in public, Mandić immediately thought 14-year-old Davor could potentially be perfect for the role of Mirza (the older son in the movie). After jointly convincing his father to let him audition, Kusturica and Mandić arranged a screen test which Dujmović aced and got the role.

Following the film's great critical acclaim and commercial success, Dujmović attempted to enroll at the Sarajevo's Academy of Stage Arts (ASU) whose dean at the time was Boro Stjepanović, but after getting rejected on his first try, he never tried again. He continued to get roles, though, such as the one in Zlatko Lavanić's (another one of Kusturica's ADs) directorial debut Strategija svrake. Kusturica also continued working with Dujmović, giving him a lead in Time of the Gypsies - a movie that would make Davor well known across former Yugoslavia for his indelible portrayal of a young Gypsy named Perhan. He also started doing theatre, appearing in the production of Mjesečeva predstava.

The role of Perhan made him a recognazible star and ensured film roles would continue coming his way - Adam ledolomak, Aleksa Šantić, Belle epoque - Posljednji valcer u Sarajevu, Sarajevske priče, Prokleta je Amerika. During this time he also became a cast member for the third season of the Yugoslav comedy TV sketch show Top lista nadrealista. The series aired in late 1991.

Simultaneously, during the early 1990s Davor started using hard drugs and quickly developed into a full-fledged heroin addict. During the first months of the war he stayed in Sarajevo, but later moved to Belgrade where he rejoined old friends, filming Underground with Kusturica as well as Složna braća TV series with Nele Karajlić. He unsuccessfully tried to kick his drug habit several times. At the end of the war he moved to Banja Luka where he met up with Andrej J. Gartner with whom he started the Culture of Republika Srpska trust fund. He spent his last months with his girlfriend in Slovenia.

Davor Dujmović committed suicide by hanging on 31 May 1999, following a severe depression. His last days were spent in the Slovenian town of Novo Mesto.

• When Father Was Away on Business (1985) as Brother Mirza
• Strategija švrake (1987)
• Time of the Gypsies (1988) as Perhan
• Istočno od istoka (1990)
• Adam ledolomak (1990)
• Belle epoque - Posljednji valcer u Sarajevu (1990) as Gavrilo Princip
• Top lista nadrealista (TV series, 1990–91) as various characters
• Praznik u Sarajevu (1991)
• Sarajevske priče (TV series, 1991) as Boban Kokot
• Prokleta je Amerika (1992)
• Aleksa Šantić (TV series, 1992)
• Složna braća (TV series, 1995) as Mustafa "Mute" Halimić
• Underground (1996) as Bata