Call to Jovan Marjanović and SFF: See off the guests, and then give your Sarajevo an explanation

By: Amra Vrabac

It's the third day since the Sarajevo Film Festival was shaken by a scandal with the promotion of the film 'Heroes of Halijard', in which Draža Mihailović's Chetniks are portrayed as positive figures. It's the third day that there is no clear answer from the leaders of the Sarajevo Film Festival about what really happened.

The first reaction was that they were "taken aback". After they slept well, in a statement they sent, they said that the film was not shown, and that they did not control the content of Telekom Serbia, which they presented at one of the programs during the Festival. Although this was not a good enough explanation, and certainly not adequate for the crisis that arose, there was no public address from SFF director Jovan Marjanović, nor from other people who have been associated with the Festival for years and who have done everything to make SFF the center of the region with numerous world stars.

The importance of the Festival has not been questioned by anyone, and the idea of it being shut down, moved, or not held in this format should not be entertained. However, there have been calls to pay attention to future guests and content. And that is completely justified.

Following the SFF's statement, Telekom Serbia also issued a clarification, stating that they have written communication with the SFF and that they were aware of the content of the program they would present, as well as of 'Heroes of Halijard'.

The film's director, Radoš Bajić, whose son Nedeljko Bajić was in Sarajevo for the Festival, also spoke to Serbian Danas, announcing the presentation of their production projects, including the controversial film, on Instagram the day before the official presentation.

In essence, Bajić Sr. claims that the SFF asked for the film to be included in the program, but he refused because the film was not finished.

"At the beginning of May, the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) sent us a letter inviting us to participate in the official program with the film 'Heroes of Halijard', to which we politely declined because our film was not ready. This is a film we have been working on for five or six years, it's not a rabbit that jumped out of a bush," Radoš Bajić told Danas exclusively on Wednesday.

The SFF remains silent today. Instead of Marjanović, Elma Tataragić, Izete Građević, Mirsad Purivatra, or anyone who has a say in the SFF organization, directors, actors, journalists, and analysts are speaking out. Everything is turning into uncontrolled chaos. Everyone is coming out with their own information and conclusions.

Thus, we learned from Jasmila Žbanić that the "controversial 90 seconds" were shown at the SFF during a closed presentation for accredited professionals. We don't know if Žbanić is one of those professionals, but she told us, "We condemn a film that hasn't even been edited. It might be Chetnik, but let's at least finish it," said Žbanić.

Some analysts, who are also sometimes journalists and lawyers, are turning everything into a national attack on Jovan Marjanović. This is a complete diversion from the essence of this scandal. If anyone was supposed to succeed Mirsad Purivatra, it was Jovan Marjanović, someone who matured as both a person and an artist alongside the SFF. His nationality should not be discussed or linked in any way to this unfortunate event. Marjanović interests me only in his role as SFF director. If we have to wait until the closing of the festival and the departure of guests, then we will wait.

But Marjanović and his team must not turn a blind eye to the scandal the SFF has been subjected to. You owe it to Sarajevo, which was under siege for 1425 days, to offer a rational explanation. Admit a mistake, a gross oversight, ignorance, disinterest, perhaps someone's curiosity to see that film, but we must hear some answer, not just read superficial statements.

Perhaps we who do not follow or understand art do not see things the same way, but the SFF has clearly stated that there is no room for historical revisionism of any kind. Therefore, you don't have to be an artist to understand that Uncle Draža and his Chetniks have no place in Sarajevo and at the SFF, no matter who is behind it.