RAtko kusic

Ratko Kušić is a Serbian filmmaker, director, and cinematographer whose career spans more than five decades in film and television. Born on October 13, 1941 in Ivanjica, Serbia, he graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade and went on to build a distinguished career in visual storytelling, documentary filmmaking, and travel journalism. Ratko Kušić CV (ENG)

For over thirty years he worked at Television Belgrade, where he developed his craft as a director and cinematographer. After leaving the national broadcaster, he continued his work as a freelance film professional, collaborating on numerous film and television projects across the world.

A Life Behind the Camera

Throughout his career, Ratko Kušić has worked on a wide range of creative productions including documentaries, television series, music videos, and commercials. As both a director and director of photography, he has contributed to projects that combine strong visual storytelling with a deep curiosity about people, cultures, and places.

Among his notable collaborations are projects with internationally acclaimed director Emir Kusturica. Kušić worked as Director of Photography on the documentary films Super 8 Stories and Birdman, the latter produced for the French television channel ARTE. Ratko Kušić CV (ENG)

He also created several “making-of” documentaries as a complete author—writing the screenplay, operating the camera, and directing the films. These projects include behind-the-scenes documentaries for major productions such as Arizona Dream and Underground by Emir Kusturica, as well as Balkan Rules by Darko Bajić.

“The World in the Palm of Your Hand”

The project for which Ratko Kušić is most widely recognized is the travel documentary series “The World in the Palm of Your Hand.”

For twenty-five years he worked on the series as a co-writer, cameraman, and director, producing more than 120 episodes, each approximately thirty minutes long. The series was broadcast throughout the region, including Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia. Ratko Kušić CV (ENG)

The films from this series received multiple awards at international tourist film festivals and remain a significant contribution to travel documentary filmmaking in the region.