Studio 3, commonly known as the Orson Welles Studio, at Jadran Film in Croatia is in the final stages of refurbishment. Welles worked on his 1962 film The Trial at the Zagreb studio.
Re-envisioned as a versatile venue for events, conferences, and orchestral recording projects, the studio is being restored with careful attention to its original 1950s character, complemented by a retro aesthetic.
The Zagreb Symphony Orchestra recently announced it is proud to begin a new era of recording at the Orson Welles Studio.
“Studio 3 (Tonski Studio), historically a hub for orchestral scoring and sound recording, was where the Jadran Film Symphony Orchestra recorded film scores in the 1970s, including music by Alfi Kabiljo, one of the most important film composers in Croatia and the former Yugoslavia.”
Founded in 1946, Jadran Film grew into one of Europe’s most significant film complexes between the 1960s and 1980s, hosting more than 145 international co-productions, over 120 Yugoslav films, and contributing to two Academy Award–winning films (The Tin Drum, Sophie’s Choice).
The first international productions filmed at the studio were Italian-produced Biblical B movies in the late 1950s, most notably the 1960 release David and Goliath, which starred Welles as King Saul.
Welles had a significant connection to Croatia largely due his long-term relationship with Croatian artist and actress Oja Kodar, who he met during the filming of The Trial. Of the movie, Welles once remarked “The Trial is the best film I ever made… I have never been so happy as when I made this film.”
Welles and Kodar also filmed the unfinished The Deep in Croatia during the late 1960s. Its surviving workprint is housed at the Munich Film Museum.
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