Set in 1941 Montenegro during WWII, the film follows Doka, a Muslim Albanian patriarch, who defies his former enemy Gjona, a member of the SS division "Skanderbeg", to protect a Montenegrin Christian child being hunted by Gjonaj’s troops.
“Our film is set during World War II, and recreating this historical reality posed the greatest production challenge, as we navigated tight budgets and the limitations of filming during the pandemic. To remind, it tells the story of a Christian child being hunted by a Muslim paramilitary fascist unit that murdered his parents and burned down his village. Much had to be meticulously portrayed regarding the motives and the concept of authenticity. Capturing these elements accurately and powerfully was essential and incredibly demanding,” director Nikola Vukčević told FNE.
The screenplay is adapted from Zuvdija Hodžić’s novel Obraz by Ana Vujadinović, Melina Pota Koljević and Nikola Vukčević. The cast includes Edon Rizvanolli, Alban Ukaj, Elez Adžović and Aleksandar Rdulović.
“I’m very proud of this work. In our film, we brought together Montenegrins, Serbs, Kosovo Albanians, Croatians, Slovenians and Bosnians, united in a shared mission to create a film with a powerful message of humanity. Let me remind you of the dramatic and war-torn history of our former shared homeland, Yugoslavia. Despite the historic conflicts in our region, through this film, we show that universal human values can transcend even the deepest differences,” Vukčević also said.
The Tower of Strength is produced by Nikola Vukčević and Milorad Radenović through Montenegro’s Galileo Production in coproduction with Serbia’s Cinnamon Films, Croatia’s Embrio Production and Germany’s Mogador Film.
The film premiered in Cottbus on 7 November 2024 and will be screened again on 9 November 2024, at 15:00 with English and German subtitles. This world premiere promises to be a powerful cinematic experience, leaving a lasting impact on festival audiences.
Production Information:
Producer:
Galileo Production (Montenegro)
Coproducers:
Cinnamon Films (Serbia)
Embrio Production (Croatia)
Mogador Film (Germany)
Credits:
Director: Nikola Vukčević
Screenwriters: Ana Vujadinović, Melina Pota Koljević, Nikola Vukčević (script associate)
DoP: Djordje Stojiljkovic
Cast: Edon Rizvanolli, Alban Ukaj, Elez Adžović, Aleksandar Rdulović, XhejlaneTerbunja, Vuk Bulajić, Selman Jusufi, Nikola Ristanovski, Merisa Adžović, Hana Pavlović, Ana Vučković, Igor Benčina, Branimir Popović, Zef Dedivanović
