About the Montenegrin film

It is likely that today, and not only from the point of diachronic level, we can meaningfully talk
about the Montenegrin film, even if yet not of the cinema, by which I mean systemic activity in
the field of production and marketing of the film. This will be discussed later, with reference to
current issues in the field of culture which is only now getting its institutional framework. As the
movie is a dominant component of civilization image, it has immeasurable importance in
affirming the identity of a community, especially the traditions and cultures that define that
community.
And how Montenegro first encountered cinema and moving images? There is a record on film
screening in Vienna, on November 1, 1902, presenting one of the movies of Ferdinand Somogyi
studio in the Black Hills, the Prince's palace in Montenegro. That was probably an opportunity to
watch the first ever shots recorded in Montenegro. Memories, as faded as the first movie image,
claim that the first "cinematographic performance," or film premiere in Cetinje followed around
1903. Fascination with the new invention was as any other place in the world. Among the first
strangers and foreigners who visited Montenegro were the Consul Arnold Muir Wilson and his
cameraman Frank Moters. The first film documents that were created on the territory of
Montenegro unfortunately have not been preserved or are still "undiscovered" in some depot.
Little is known about the first movie theater, open-air cafe Lovcen of Petko Pajevic (consistent
to the tradition of the first theatrical performances in the Grand Cafe in Paris), except that it
opened in 1908. The presence of cinematographers who made the then popular newsreels was
growing, especially on the occasion of the proclamation of the Kingdom of Montenegro in 1910.
At the beginning of next year in the Montenegrin Royal Theatre Zeta house the first permanent
cinema was open following the initiative of Ljuba Tamindi. Together with Tamindi, special
enthusiasm for the film was expressed by Branko obaji, who opened second movie theatre in
1913, in Niksic other movies. These theaters stop working with the outbreak of the First World
War.
During the war, as well as during previous military operations, a number of newsreels were
realized by Pates and Gammon cameramen. The cameras also recorded King Nikolas days in
exile. Particularly interesting are the movies (of course foreign) inspired by Montenegro, or
better say idea of Montenegro - often unreliable, full of exotic and fantastic detail. D.
Kharitonov, one of the Russian film pioneers, made in 1912 the movie Balkan Empress
(Balkanska carica), inspired by the eponymous drama about Prince, then King Nikola I.
Curiosum worthy of attention is that the famous American film producer and director Cecil de
Mil filmed two films whose action takes place in Montenegro: Fearless, after the eponymous
novel by Eleanor Ingram, and The prisoner. Both films from 1915 are preserved.
The first movie we can rightly consider Montenegrin was recorded in Italy in 1922. Scenario for
Voskresenje is not lacking death - wrote Vladimir . Popovic, Minister of Justice in the
penultimate Montenegrin government in exile, who has participated and directed the film. The
final version of the script involved also famous Italian poet Gabriele DAnnunzio. The main role
was played by the Italian silent film diva Elena Sangro, and Montenegrins who remained in Italy
after the annexation of Montenegro in 1918, also participated in the movie. Above all, motives

were of political provenance Voskresenje was to draw attention of the Western public to the
disappearance of the country that fought on the Allied side and the injustice done to the
Montenegrin people. Despite the fact that the film had an emotional effect, of course nothing else
changed. But that was important and courageous attempt to defend Montenegrin identity through
the new medium whose expressive possibilities are still explored. The latter's tumultuous events
the film is lost, but one part was accidentally discovered in the wake of the renewal of
Montenegrin statehood. Thanks to these rolls and surviving photographs, prof. Dejan Kosanovic
was able to make a partial reconstruction of the film.
Montenegrin Cinematheque repurchased the preserved prologue and the reconstructed version of
the film, and finalized its restoration.
Before the World War II, several foreign movies were filmed in Montenegro, two of which are
have conditionaly Montenegro theme Law of the Black Hills (Zakon crnih brda) and The
Phantom of Durmitor or Song black hills ( Fantom Durmitora ili Pjesma crnih brda). Due to
following historical events, they were again temporarily replaced by a war cameraman.
The continuity of the film industry in Montenegro is established just after World War II. In
accordance with the cinema development plan, the first Montenegrin film company Lovcen
film was founded in Cetinje in 1949. Particularly since Aleksije Leka Obradovic was appointed
as its director, Lovcen film accomplished a lot in terms of film production, cooperation with
other Yugoslav and international centers and encouraging young people to engage in film.
However, Lovcen film was quickly reorganized in accordance with the federal law and thus
divided into three segments: Lovcen Film (dealing with film production), the Mediterranean
film (for providing technical services) and Zeta Film (for the distribution and circulation of
movies). A crucial event for relatively small production house as Lovcen film, took place in
1962 when the federal fund for the promotion of cinema was abolished. This was this fund that
film manufacturing companies were receiving funding in the percentage according to their
participation in the circulation of domestic films in the whole territory of Yugoslavia. Income
obtained from sales of domestic and foreign film at the narrowed and the territory with a small
population was not sustainable.
At the very beginning of Lovcen film movies were made that indicated that Montenegro will
be a space for filmmakers of exceptional talent and a specific sensibility. Of course, disparate
manuscripts are characteristic not only of distinct personality, but also of impact of the
environment in which they will continue to develop. One thing is, however, common to all they
were inspired by Montenegro and returned to her, each in its own way. The first creations,
sometimes with an excess of "noble pathos," should be observed in the context of the time they
incurred, but there are some truly extraordinary films like 1952, Dead city (Mrtvi grad)
directed by Veljo Stojanovi and scriptwriter Ratko Djurovic, representative of the best tradition
of poetic documentary. Production of feature films has started with The false Emperor (1955),
(Lazni car), then followed a number of extremely interesting films Evil money (Zle pare),
Four kilometers per hour (etiri kilometra na sat) /all three films directed by Velja Stojanovic/,
The fourteenth day (Dan cetrnaesti) /directed by Zdravko Velimirovic and shown in the official
selection at the Cannes Film Festival/, and established the cooperation with foreign authors
(Thou shalt not kill directed by. Claude Otan Lara). Vojislav Nanovi, Georges Skrigin, Bojan
Stupica and others had worked for Lovcen film.

It seems, though, that strategy of a single Montenegrin production company was not adequately
profiled and it paid to a typical Montenegrin megalomania. As the at the time system film
industry was the first that functioned by capitalist market principles, with the abolition of cofinancing from the federal level and the unsatisfactory participation of the co-producers, Lovcen
film went bankrupt. It is well known that once you experience a crash, things are pretty hard to
re-establish, so Film studio Titograd (1966) was founded later with a lot of trouble, headed by
Cedo Vulevii.
In the following and in cooperation with other centers, were filmed: Wailing Mountain
(Lelejska gora) directed by Zdravko Velimirovic, Shameful summer (Sramno ljeto, directed by
Branislav Basta, Downstream from the Sun (Nizvodno od sunca) directed by Fedor kubonja,
Death and the Dervish (Dervis i smrt) directed by Zdravko Velimirovic, and Beasts (Bestije)
directed by Zivko Nikolic. Activities of Titograd Film Studio were since 1978 continued by
Zeta film, a company that, although in business of distribution with the Film Club Belgrade,
produced the movie Before the truth (Pre istine) by Vojislav Kokan Rakonjac. This was
followed by the Thirteenth of July (Trinaesti juli) by Radomir Baja aranovia, The boy
going after the sun( Djeak je iao za suncem) by Bana Basta, Unseen Wonder (udo
nevieno) by Zivko Nikolic, a Silver medal winner in Moscow, Volunteers (Dobrovoljci) by
Predrag Golubovic, On behalf of the people (U ime naroda) and Tempting of the Devil
(Iskuavanje avola) by (Zivko Nikolic). One should also keep in mind the tradition of short
documentary films, most successfully continued by Momir Matovic. A considerable number of
authors from Montenegro made movies in other areas, thus representing a link between cultures
and bringing the people closer - Krsto Papic, Veljko Bulajic, Branko Baleti, Vlatko Gili, Krsto
kanata, Predrag Golubovic, Lola Djukic, Zivko Nikolic, screenwriter Mirko Kovac, one of the
founders of the Zagreb School of Animation, Dusan Vukotic, an Oscar winner for the film The
Substitute (Surogat) and others. Since the works of these authors is generally well known to
anyone versed in the Yugoslav film, there is no need on this occasion to talk about them
specifically.
In the heyday of the Yugoslav cinema, a disproportionately large number (relative to population)
of Montenegrin authors and film workers made an indelible mark in the Yugoslav film (meaning
only actors Pavle Vuisic, Cica Perovic, Slobodan Aligrudia, Veljko Mandic, Bora Begovic, etc.)
With Yugoslavia as a community in the early nineties happened what happened with the
Yugoslav film a couple of decades earlier. Decentralization caused cinematography of individual
republics to begin to function independently, abandoning, more or less, a common ideological
platform. As early as in 1968 a polemic was raised in the film culture whether there is a common
Yugoslav film. Montenegro was on the margin of events and disintegration of the country is met
with a lot of collective blunders that were nurtured for decades. In the whirlwind of political and
economic crisis lights in cinemas were extinguished, and the movie, a space of freedom and
critical observation of reality, was redundant, and unwelcome as a witness.
It seems that in our country, in the absence of continuity, different generations are forced to the
same pioneering work.
In order to establish a valid setting for film industry, it is necessary to adopt new legislation,
establish an institution that would deal with contemporary productions and promotion of

Montenegrin Film (Film Center), to ensure continuity of production and restore cinema network.
The European examples suggest that it is impossible to preserve local film without state support.
The accession to the most important European film fund Eurimages is of great significance, since
it not only co-finance films but also supports the distribution of European film. There is an
obvious lack of technical and technological base, above all studying and accompanying stage and
lighting techniques. The attractive and varied landscapes, as well as in tourism, cannot be valued
in the right way if we do not provide the necessary infrastructure. Making of foreign films, in
turn ,brings many benefits in so many respects, both for the cinema sector and other industries.
The project of adapting the Montenegrin Cinematheque and the Music Center (just started)
should create adequate conditions for the preservation of films and film materials in their original
form and their presentation to the audience. Finally, despite the work of outside professional
standards, contemporary film production has shown a kind of vitality. It may soon be possible to
talk about the new Montenegrin authors of authentic values.
We just hope to find a spaces where films would be shown, as many cinemas have been closed ...
Optimism is also inspired by the fact that the new Law on Cinematography establishes a new
system of organization and financing cinematography, which will ensure the implementation of
all the assumptions consistent with the conduct of policy development in the field of culture. Its
adoption is expected during this year's June session of the Parliament of Montenegro, so we are
pleased to note that the implementation constituted legal solutions may be followed by a new era
of Montenegrin films and cinema.