Variola Vera 1982

An Albanian Muslim pilgrim returns to Yugoslavia from Saudi Arabia with an unknown disease. He is moved from Kosovo to a hospital in Belgrade, where his symptoms worsen and he dies. By the time hospital officials determine he was infected with smallpox — a disease many believed eradicated — it is already too late.

The outbreak spreads as the disorganized staff struggle to isolate the infected, and fear travels faster than the illness through crowded wards and hallways.

An epidemiologist arrives to assist and Peter Carsten serves as a bridge between the quarantined hospital and the outside world, coordinating information and containment measures as the city watches.

The film follows the experiences of multiple groups—patients, medical staff, ordinary citizens, and government officials—each confronting the crisis in their own way, painting a broad picture of a society under pressure. Within the hospital, the work of the medical team is depicted with scenes of care, fatigue, and urgency.

The story also offers a sharp critique of corruption and cowardice among those in power and the medical establishment; notably, Superintendent Čole, Rade Marković, locks himself in his office and even steals medicine, a moment that underscores how institutional failures can exacerbate a public health emergency. Yet the film also honors the humanity and selflessness of many doctors and nurses who risk their safety to help others.

After twenty-one days since the final documented case, the hospital is officially declared smallpox-free. The quarantine is lifted, and government officials announce that the disease has again been eradicated.