In the late 1970s, Goran Paskaljevic carried on the trends defined by the so-called Czech School active in Yugoslavia at the time. With auteur cinema becoming firmly entrenched, Paskaljevic was among the first to champion control by directors telling personal stories. Focusing on domestic society, Paskaljevic was still years from marking himself as one of Serbia’s most vocal critics. In These Earthly Days Go Rolling By, a retired seaman makes ends meet by drawing portraits on the side. Fiercely independent but unable to keep up with costs, the old man acknowledges that he will eventually have to move into a state home. When he gets there, however, he reawakens a life in the other residents that was absent before his arrival. These Earthly Days Go Rolling By is one of Paskaljevic’s most humanitarian films ? one that celebrates life and hope.