Slovenian film director, screenwriter, and composer Vinci Vogue Anžlovar has died in his 62nd year following a battle with ALS. Born Tomaž Anžlovar in 1963, he left an enduring mark on national cinema by directing the country’s first feature film after independence, Babica gre na jug.
A Pioneer of Independent Slovenian Cinema
In 1991, Vinci Vogue Anžlovar wrote the screenplay for Babica gre na jug, a milestone project widely recognized as the first feature film produced in an independent Slovenia. Over a prolific career spanning six feature films, numerous shorts, television series, commercials, and music compositions, he established himself as a restless and fiercely independent voice in the arts.
Colleagues and public broadcasters noted his eclectic talents as a director, screenwriter, composer, painter, editor, and actor. He maintained a reputation as an uncompromising, rebellious creator who cared far more about a film’s direct connection with audiences than formal accolades. His works frequently carried autobiographical elements, driven by an exceptional creative energy that defined his decades in the industry.
He also directed the film Dedek gre na jug approximately 30 years after his directorial debut. In addition to feature films and short works, his career encompassed participation in television series, commercials, music videos, and documentary films.
The Onset of ALS and the Final Creative Projects
Anžlovar’s health declined following an outing. What initially appeared to be a minor physical injury quickly escalated into a severe neurological diagnosis after he walked with his dog to a nearby waterfall and barely dragged himself home due to severe cramps.
Vinci Vogue Anžlovar recounted that a doctor had suspected sciatica, that he went to physical therapy, and that tests there showed his muscles lacked innervation.
The symptoms progressed rapidly from severe leg cramps to difficulties with mobility, speech, and swallowing, ultimately tying him to a cane and halting his physical activities. Despite the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—an incurable degenerative disease of the nervous system—Anžlovar continued to work.
He and his partner, Barbara Drmota, faced parallel health crises after learning of their diagnoses around the same time, as Drmota fought and overcame cervical cancer. Together, they sought psychological and psychiatric support while channeling their remaining energy into creative endeavors, including their final collaborative project, the youth film Tartinijev ključ.
Before his passing, Tartinijev ključ held a recent premiere where he was present in person.
Shared Hardship and Public Farewell Plans
The emotional weight of their simultaneous illnesses tested their relationship. Drmota noted that Anžlovar attempted to shoulder the burden entirely on his own during her cancer treatments.
Barbi Drmota stated that he also said he would take everything upon himself just so she would get well, adding that she resented him for it and that he had “jinxed” it. She mentioned that both of them were temperamental, that their relationship had its ups and downs, and that when he admitted that to her, she wondered whether she had ever misjudged the depth of his love and him as a person in the heat of the moment.
In his final weeks, Anžlovar prepared for what he intended as a closing chapter for his public life. He organized an upcoming screening of the newly digitalized version of Babica gre na jug, scheduled to take place at Cankarjev dom exactly 33 years after its original premiere.
The Upcoming Retrospective Screening
Anžlovar had reached out to the public on social media to invite viewers to what he framed as his final appearance.
Vinci Vogue Anžlovar urged people to come see him one more time for his final public appearance and his first film at Cankarjev dom on December 17, exactly 33 years after the premiere.
Though he did not live to attend the event, the December 17 screening at Cankarjev dom remains planned as a memorial retrospective celebrating his foundational contribution to Slovenian filmmaking.
