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Smoke and Water

Name: Smoke and Water
Director: Dragoslav Lazić
Released: 1963
Duration: 10 min

Representation Score

4.2/10

Fair

1963

Director

Dragoslav Lazić

Runtime

10 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Smoke and Water is a documentary centered on the industrial machinery of trains and trainyards. Because the subject matter is primarily mechanical, the film lacks the character-driven narratives necessary to showcase diverse human identities. While the film lacks explicit representation of gender, race, or sexuality, its connection to the Yugoslav Black Wave movement provides a layer of cultural depth. This movement's tendency to critique idealized social realities offers a more nuanced perspective than traditional state-sponsored media. Ultimately, the score reflects a work that prioritizes industrial realism over human-centric storytelling, resulting in a neutral profile regarding social diversity.

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Category Breakdown

Does Smoke and Water have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on industrial landscapes rather than interpersonal character studies. There is no evidence of LGBTQ+ characters or narratives addressing non-straight relationships.

How does Smoke and Water portray gender?

Fair

The narrative centers on mechanical and industrial subjects like trains and trainyards. This emphasis on masculine-coded spaces reflects the traditional labor structures of the era.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Smoke and Water?

Fair

As a Yugoslav production, the work exists within a multi-ethnic context. However, the documentary focus on inanimate subjects provides no evidence of explicit racial blending or casting.

How does Smoke and Water represent religion and culture?

Good

The film aligns with the Black Wave tradition by critiquing polished, state-sanctioned optimism. It offers a gritty, materialist perspective on the unvarnished reality of industrial labor.

Does Smoke and Water include disability representation?

Minimal

The available information provides no evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent identities. The mechanical subject matter offers no basis for evaluation.

Present on Screen

The Black Wave pedigree suggests an intentionality toward deconstructing idealized narratives and examining social realities.
The film provides a gritty, materialist perspective that challenges polished, state-sanctioned depictions of progress.

Limited or Absent

The focus on industrial landscapes results in a lack of visible LGBTQ+ and gender-based representation.
The documentary's emphasis on mechanical subjects prevents the exploration of diverse human identities.

Official Synopsis

The subjects are trains and trainyards, which were key iconic symbols in the Yugoslav Black Wave films of the decade that followed. Lazić would also turn pro, directing mostly for television with the intermittent feature film to his credit.

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