THIS IS THE SERBIAN CANDIDATE FOR AN OSCAR: “The sun never again” is a powerful story about the greed and power of large mining companies! (VIDEO)

The film “The Sun Never Again” is the Serbian candidate for an Oscar in the category for Best International Film. The director of the film is David Jovanović, and it was produced by Pointless Films and the FDU.

Two films were submitted for this year’s Oscar. Besides “The Sun Never Again,” the selection committee also decided on the film “The Pearl Mist” by Milorad Milinković.

According to the rules, each member of the committee can award two points to one film and one to the other. The secret ballot was finished in the first round, six members voted, and one member voided the ballot. The voting results are: “The Pearl Mist” by Milorad Milinković – 7 points, and “The Sun Never Again” by David Jovanović – 13 points.

“Two things prevailed”

In the explanation, they wrote:

“The committee was deciding between two cinematographically literate, very different works that were created in different production circumstances and have different approaches to dramaturgy and film language. Also, these two films differ in genre: Milinković’s film is a historical political thriller, and Jovanović’s is an auteur film with a contemporary theme. Discussing before the vote, the committee members analyzed both films in detail and mentioned all their qualities, as well as weaknesses.

Two things mostly prevailed in favour of the film “The Sun Never Again”: the universality of the theme of human and nature suffering due to the greed and power of multinational companies that are engaged in mining on the entire planet, and the coherence of the tragic story in a stylized manner of poetic naturalism.

Milinković’s film, however, has as its theme local political turmoil in Serbia in the 19th century and a police and private investigation of two murders; if the plot of the film had been more carefully conducted, and the motivations of the heroes more delicately implemented, perhaps a foreign audience that does not know Serbian history could follow the story as a struggle between good and evil.

Unfortunately, despite the directing and editing work, it is visible that the film was created from material for a TV series, so there are occasional serious ambiguities in it that seriously make it difficult to follow and spoil the viewing pleasure. That is why “The Sun Never Again” prevailed.”

The committee members were Vladislava Vojnović screenwriter – president of the committee, Vladan Anđelković producer, Boban Stefanović from the Network of Film Exhibitors of Serbia, Predrag Bambić director of photography, Miroslav Lekić director, Stefan Đelineo director, and Petar Jakonić editor.

Why the producers submitted only two films, in the Film Centre of Serbia which organizes this selection – they do not know.

The choice is a diversion from the direction

It should be said that this year’s choice for the Serbian representative in Hollywood is a shift from the direction that has been taken in recent years: to show the world Serbia as a victim of historical circumstances.

Thus, in 2019, “King Peter the First” by Petar Ristovski, produced by “Zilion Film,” was nominated. Then “Dara from Jasenovac” by Predrag Gaga Antonijević, followed by “The Gloom” by Dušan Milić, a film about life in an enclave in Kosovo, and then the historical film “What Are My Thoughts Fighting For” by Milorad Milinković, and last year “The Russian Consul” by Miroslav Lekić about the seventies during the Kosovo-Metohija crisis.

During that period, only “The Oasis” by Ivan Ikić from 2021, which was awarded as the best European film at the Venice Film Festival, does not belong to this group.