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Director of "Neighbor" Film: "I Want People Unfamiliar with Serbia's Events to See It"
🇷🇸 Serbia /Culture & Society

Director of "Neighbor" Film: "I Want People Unfamiliar with Serbia's Events to See It"

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • The film "Komšija" (Neighbor), directed by Dan Grabnar, premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival, focusing on police repression during student protests in Serbia.
  • The film, based on a real event, depicts a police officer recognizing a student protester as his neighbor.
  • Director Grabnar emphasized the film's relevance to current events and the importance of showing it to audiences unfamiliar with the situation in Serbia.

Director Dan Grabnar's film "Komšija" (Neighbor) made its world premiere at the Sarajevo Film Festival, offering a stark portrayal of police repression during student protests in Serbia. The film, which Grabnar insists is not fiction but "a film about the present and the future," aims to shed light on events that many outside Serbia may not fully understand.

I would like the film to be seen by people who know little about what is happening in Serbia.

— Dan GrabnarThe director expressed his desire for the film to reach a wider audience unfamiliar with the context.

Premiering on August 17 in the student short film competition, "Komšija" is among the first narrative films to directly address the student blockades and protests that erupted in Serbia following the fatal collapse of an entrance canopy at the Novi Sad train station in November 2024. The film stars Milan Marić as a police officer who identifies a student protester, played by Arsenije Arsić, as his neighbor, exploring the moment when political conflict becomes personal.

a film about the present and the future

— Dan GrabnarGrabnar described the film's relevance beyond mere fiction or historical recounting.

Grabnar highlighted the meticulous attention paid to the authentic depiction of protests and characters, stating, "I knew that if I were making a film about protests and police brutality, it couldn't look cheap at any moment. It really needed to look like a protest, to be believable." He also noted the challenges in accurately recreating police uniforms, as authorities were unwilling to provide them for a film critical of the police.

I knew that if I were making a film about protests and police brutality, it couldn't look cheap at any moment. It really needed to look like a protest, to be believable.

— Dan GrabnarThe director discussed the importance of authenticity in portraying the protests.

Addressing the moral dilemma faced by police officers involved in suppressing protests, Grabnar suggested they have "brought it upon themselves," along with society, politics, and the police structure itself. He questioned whether they experience a strong moral dilemma and why change has not occurred, observing that the brutality continues and police still protect the government. Grabnar expressed a desire for the film to reach audiences "where people have no idea what's going on," seeing the Sarajevo festival as a prime opportunity for this.

They have brought it upon themselves... They are in a more uncomfortable situation, they have brought it upon themselves - but so have society, politics, and the police system itself.

— Dan GrabnarGrabnar commented on the moral position of police officers involved in suppressing protests.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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