“THEY DID NOT ALLOW IT FROM HIGHER UP”: Branko Stanković banned from filming “Kvadratura kruga” at the Župa Heritage Museum!

The director of the Župa Heritage Museum did not allow Branko Stanković to film parts of the “Kvadratura kruga” program about the history of winemaking and viticulture in Župa Aleksandrovačka at the institution.

At the beginning of this week, the crew of the “Kvadratura kruga” program, which has been broadcast on TV N1 since October, filmed an episode in Župa Aleksandrovačka, Serbia’s largest wine-growing and wine-producing region, where grapevines have been cultivated for more than 3,000 years.

The millennia-long history of life in Župa is also evidenced by the Župa Venuses — fertility goddesses approximately 6,000 years old that are kept at the Župa Heritage Museum. Wanting to film them as witnesses to the passage of time and centuries of life, Branko Stanković informed senior curator and former director Ivan Brborić of his arrival at the museum ten days in advance, even providing him with the questions three days ahead of time, clearly showing the subject of the interview.

Brborić informed the new museum director about it five hours before the “Kvadratura kruga” crew was due to arrive.

“The director asked the author of the program for the filming plan and the concept of the show, which were provided to him, but after consulting with someone from a higher level, the director asked us to send everything from an official email address, saying that he would inform us of his decision in the following days. Since I was unable to send an order bearing the TV N1 logo while we were on location, I sent the museum director via Viber everything he had requested, along with all my relevant personal details, but even after that, we were not allowed to film, following the decision of that higher authority with whom the director had spoken,” Stanković said.

When he asked for the name and phone number of that “higher authority” so that he could explain what and how they were filming and that the program’s intentions were entirely well-intentioned, director Terzić replied to Stanković: “That’s not how it works.”

“Nevertheless, we managed to film replicas of the Župa Venuses, so N1 viewers will not be deprived of this millennia-old confirmation of life in Župa,” Stanković said.

Nezavisne narodne novine of the Rasina District also reported on the incident, noting that the author of “Kvadratura kruga” has so far filmed 19 programs about Župa and that the Heritage Museum had previously honored him with its highest award, “Miloslav Bondžić,” for his contribution to promoting and raising the profile of the institution.

As noted, Branko Stanković is also the recipient of the Aleksandrovac City Plaque for his exceptional contribution to promoting the Župa region and its heritage, which was presented to him on Municipal Day during a ceremonial session. The Župa Knights’ Order “Monk Dorotej” proclaimed him an honorary knight of wine, while he held the first promotion of his book “Kvadratura kruga,” before Belgrade and dozens of other cities, in Župa.