The film focuses on the life of one of the most eminent Serbian and Yugoslav painters of the twentieth century. How did this artist, that represented the pinnacle of post-war art in socialist Yugoslavia, attain the status of state artist, in spite of his biography emphasising the romantic archetype of the cursed painter, accompanied by misfortune, illnesses, and death?

Seeking answers, the film puts special emphasis on key moments in Lubarda's life, from his childhood in Montenegro, the post-war years and the artistic fame he achieved working in Belgrade, to his marriage to Vera Protić and the turbulent history of Yugoslavia, where he spent most of his life.

„This is a film about an artistic genius, a haunted painter and the past that defines the present as well as the future; a film about the eternal struggle between the individual and the collective, and ultimately a film about a country that many deem to be a failed and unfinished state-building project“, Goran Radovanović told FNE.

He is directing from the script co-written by Boris Trbić. The main cast consists of: Anica Dobra (in multiple roles), Vojin Ćetković, Vaja Dujović, Guslar Maksim Vojvodić, and Maša Vojvodić.

Jesenka Jasniger, Goran Radovanović, Petar Jakovljević and Nikolay Mutafchiev are producing the film through Serbia’s Nama Film, Oktobar Film, and Cinnamon, and also through Bulgaria’s Premier Studio, respectively.

Film Center Serbia, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the Bulgarian National Film Center and Serbia’s TV Prva are backing the project.

The film was shot from February to mid- August 2025 in Belgrade and Novi Sad (Serbia), as well as in Ljubotinje (Montenegro).

Production Information:

Producer:
Nama Film (Serbia)
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Coproducers:
Oktobar Film (Serbia)
Cinnamon Film (Serbia)
Premier Studio (Bulgaria)

Credits:
Director: Goran Radovanović
Scriptwriters: Goran Radovanović, Boris Trbić
DoP: Aleksandar Jakonić
Editor: Maja Kokić
Production designer: Boris Deheljan
Costume designer: Katarina Ciglić
Composer: Ace Vaptsarov
Cast: Anica Dobra, Vojin Ćetković, Vaja Dujović, Guslar Maksim Vojvodić, Maša Vojvodić