Željko Malnar: World traveler, journalist, adventurer, and honorary chief remembered for his iconic show

Croatian television lost a unique figure on July 9, 2013, with the passing of Željko Malnar. He was a man of many facets: an adventurer, travel writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist, and a controversial television host, but above all, an original and charismatic personality who lived life on his own terms.

Malnar's life journey was characterized by extremes. He was a globetrotter who explored remote corners of the world, befriended philosophers and chieftains, and simultaneously served as the self-proclaimed lifelong president of the utopian Republic of Peščenica. This republic was populated by colorful characters from society's margins, the poor, alcoholics, and social cases, whom Malnar privately cared for and who became national figures on his show.

His adventurous spirit ignited early. By age twenty, after finishing high school, he organized his first expedition to Perućica, Europe's only primeval forest. This was just the beginning of his extensive travels. His curiosity led him to New Delhi, where he studied journalism for underdeveloped countries at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. India captivated him for a decade, during which he traveled across Asia, studied Indian philosophy, and sent numerous reports and documentaries back to Televizija Zagreb.

His 1977 series "Put na istok" (Journey to the East) achieved great success, introducing domestic audiences to worlds they could only dream of. Malnar's biography reads like a script for an adventure film. He traversed the Death Valley in Afghanistan and the jungles of Sri Lanka, led speleological expeditions, and collaborated with international productions. His contribution to intercultural understanding was officially recognized; in 1986, the mayor of Fort Worth, Texas, presented him with the keys to the city. Perhaps his most exotic recognition came from Polynesia, where he became the only foreigner to hold the title of Seiuli, meaning "Chief Who Speaks," in the state of Samoa. He translated his experiences into over 70 documentaries and a bestselling book, "U potrazi za staklenim gradom" (In Search of the Glass City), co-written with Borna Bebek.