THE FORTHCOMING INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE OF MONTENEGRIN FILM AND AN AWARD IN INDIA
Feature film Obraz (The Tower of Strength), of the Montenegrin director Nikola Vukčević, has been selected for the competitive category of the Best Balkan Film Award at 29th Sofia International Film Festival, where twelve most acclaimed Balkan films, according to the opinion of the selectors, will compete.
Sofia IFF is a prominent film festivals in Central and Eastern Europe, accredited by FIAPF and ranked among 50 most significant global film events by tVariety magazine. Over the course of 28 editions, the festival has hosted some of the most prominent names in world cinema, such as Terry Gilliam, Peter Greenaway, Agnieszka Holland, Mika Kaurismaki, Andrei Konchalovsky, Jiri Menzel, Jafar Panahi, Alan Parker, Pawel Pawlikowski, Volker Schlöndorff, Bela Tarr, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Agnes Varda, Wim Wenders and Krzysztof Zanussi.
The main program of the festival is scheduled from 13 to 23 March 2025, with supplementary screenings extending until the month’s conclusion. The festival organizers have invited Vukčević to personally introduce the film to the audience (20 and 21 March), along by members of the regional author and production team.
Milorad Radenović, the principal producer of the film, highlights that this year’s festival features distinguished visitors, including renowned directors Mohammad Rasoulof, Roman Bondarčuk, Oscar laureate Danis Tanović, and Rajko Grlić, who will showcase his latest film and be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award: “having this in mind, the screening of the film Obraz is crucial as it provides an opportunity to further establish the new Montenegrin cinema on the international stage with the involvement of distinguished figures.” We approached this film with the objective of narrating the tale of an individual who courageously resisted the more powerful, driven by ethical conviction and a desire for transformation, regardless of the formidable challenges he faced. Today, as conflicts devastate communities and innocents endure suffering and extermination in the pursuit of victory against the “enemy,” we reflect on the tragedy that afflicted the whole Balkan region and the profound wounds it has left upon us. We take pride in the fact that this film has united individuals from across the Balkans, encompassing diverse faiths, nationalities, and political perspectives, all converging around a profound message of humanity. Despite the conflicts that have historically plagued our region, this film illustrates that universal human values can transcend even the most profound divisions, emphasizing that in times of war, humanity is paramount. It is gratifying that our narrative elicits a profound emotional reaction, even in a remote world and soon in the region.”
Producer Radenović (Galileo Production Montenegro) stated that the inclusion of the film Obraz in the Best Balkan Film Award selection at the Sofia International Film Festival represents a notable acknowledgment in the film’s international promotion, following its successful festival debut, and this selection strategically targets the Balkans for its premiere.
We would like to remind you that after eight years of dedicated labor on this project, Obraz had a successful international debut at the International project Festival in Cottbus, Germany, which The Hollywood Reporter characterized as “the premier film festival for Eastern European cinema,” attracting over 22,000 attendees. Bernd Buder, the program director of the Cottbus festival and a distinguished expert in Balkan cinema, as well as a former member of the Berlin Festival selection committee, remarked on the film Obraz, stating: “In his latest endeavor, Nikola Vukčević has succeeded in crafting a genre film full of tension, infused with fantastical elements—occasionally evoking horror—featuring exquisite landscape cinematography and characters reminiscent of those in The Lord of the Rings.” That month, the picture premiered internationally at the Cairo International picture Festival, the oldest and largest festival in the Arab world and Africa (a FIAPF A-list event). Subsequently, Obraz was presented at another FIAPF A-list festival in Goa. In January, it was included in the program of the 23rd Dhaka International Film Festival (Cinema of the World selection) and the 17th Jaipur International Film Festival. At this festival, competing against 80 feature films, Serbian director of photography Đorđe Stojiljković received the Best Cinematography Award for OBRAZ, therefore reaffirming the film’s artistic and aesthetic merit.
The film Obraz assembles both international and regional talents. The principal role is portrayed by Edon Rizvanolli (Netherlands), with additional performances by Nikola Ristanovski (North Macedonia), Igor Benčina (Serbia), Alban Ukaj (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Selman Jusufi and Xhejlane Terbunja (Kosovo), alongside Montenegrin actors Aleksandar Radulović, Branimir Popović, Ana Vučković, and the esteemed Zef Bato Dedivanović (Joksim from Đekna, directed by Živko Nikolić) in his final film appearance. The challenging parts of youngsters are portrayed by Elez Adžović, Vuk Bulajić, Merisa Adžović, and Hana Pavlović.
The film is inspired by a true occurrence documented by Montenegrin academician Zuvdija Hodžić, utilizing a script authored by Ana Vujadinović (Montenegro) and Melina Pota, with director Vukčević contributing as a partner on the screenplay. The film was visually crafted by director of photography Đorđe Stojiljković (Serbia), set designer the late Stanislav Nikičević (Montenegro), and costume designer Lidija Jovanović (Serbia), while composer Dušan Maksimovski (Croatia/Montenegro) and Maša and Milica Vujadinović, who composed and performed the main theme, were responsible for the music. The film’s editor is Olga Toni (Slovenia), while the visual effects were produced by Đuro Mihaljević (Montenegro) and Đorđe Stojiljković (Serbia). The designer and sound mixer is Igor Vujović from Montenegro, collaborating with his Croatian counterpart Dario Domitrović. Milorad Radenović and Jelena Filipović serve as executive producers. The co-producers are Nevena Savić and Ivica Vidanović from the Belgrade-based production company Cinnamon Films, who have been involved with this film from its inception, along with Dario Domitrović from the Zagreb production company Embrio. The associate producers include Christoph Thoke of Mogador Film Germany and Boris Raonić representing RTVCG and their public co-production competition.
Obraz was developed with co-financial assistance from public competitions organized by the Film Center of Montenegro, the Film Center of Serbia, the Croatian Audiovisual Center, the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro, RTVCG, and funding from CEKUM.
Nikola Vukčević holds a B.Sc. in Film and Theater Direction, serves as a full professor in the FTV directing course, and is the head of the Film and Media studies program at FDU Cetinje, University of Montenegro. He served as the artistic director of the City Theater Podgorica for seven seasons and held the position of Vice-President of the RTVCG Council. Nikola Vukčević’s prior films include: View from the Eiffel Tower (2005), the third most viewed Serbian minority co-production in the initial two decades of the 21st century, as per the Film Center of Serbia’s statistics, and Boys from the Street of Marx and Engels (2014), the inaugural Montenegrin film to be officially distributed in Croatian cinemas and Montenegro’s candidate for the Oscar in 2014.