OBRAZ / The TOWER OF STRENGTH

A persecuted child finds shelter in the house of the enemy. The host faces an awestruck choice: to save the child's life and his own integrity - or risk losing his family to a group of armed kinsmen.

The Official Montenegrin Oscar Entry for 2025, in the Best International Feature Film category.

Synopsis
World War II is underway in Yugoslavia. A child, fleeing from the fascist unit that killed the child's parents and burned their village, finds temporary shelter in the house of a stranger.

Another significant difference between them is that the child is Christian and the host is Muslim. During the war in Yugoslavia, this fact often marked the line between life and death.

The host of the house confronts a profound moral dilemma, as his home comes under intense siege by fascist forces:
- whether to hand over the child to the persecutors, thereby compromising his deep-rooted beliefs and personal code, or
- to endanger the safety of own family by saving a young foreigner of another religion and nation?

When the host runs out of options, he is faced with a choice that will challenge his principles and define his legacy, and THE QUESTION IS: WHAT WILL HE DO?

*OBRAZ is a Shakespearean suspense drama with a historical background, set in the Balkans during WWII, Eastern (Balkan Western), carrying a powerful anti-war message. Set against the harrowing backdrop of World War II, this film unfolds over 36 intense hours along the Montenegrin border in Yugoslavia. Through the journey of one individual daring to stand against the might of the stronger, this film ignites reflection and inspires change. In a world where warring factions still push relentlessly toward mutual destruction, this story is a powerful reminder that humanity is our ultimate victory over violence and ruin. In times of war, being human is our most vital mission. IN TIMES OF WAR, HUMANITY MATTERS MORE THAN EVER!

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Update: September 2025 — OBRAZ: A Resonant Journey Across Continents

Since its grand launch in November 2024, OBRAZ has travelled the globe, earning recognition and connecting with audiences at some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals.Our journey began with a domestic and world premiere at the Cottbus Film Festival in Germany, a key platform for Eastern European cinema. The international premiere follossswed shortly after at the Cairo International Film Festival — one of only 15 A-list competitive feature film festivals accredited by FIAPF, and the most prominent in the Arab world, Africa, and the Middle East. OBRAZ continued to build momentum with its Asian premiere at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI-Goa) — the continent’s largest and most esteemed festival (also FIAPF A-list) — followed by selection at the Dhaka International Film Festival, another vital Asian platform. These early milestones set the tone for a powerful reception, affirming the film’s emotional and artistic resonance across cultures. In January 2025, OBRAZ was awarded Best Cinematography at the Jaipur International Film Festival, standing out among 80 films from around the world. The film was then selected for the Sofia International Film Festival (FIAPF-accredited), where it competed for the Best Balkan Film award (The story remains highly relevant today, serving as a powerful reminder that universal human values can triumph over even the deepest divisions. - official catalogue of the Sofia IFF). Further acclaim followed in March at the International Film Festival in Zaragoza - Saraqusta, Spain, where OBRAZ received two major awards:
Best Screenplay Award, with the jury noting: “The screenplay achieves something very difficult: to put into words human and universal conflicts in the midst of the violence of war. It also shows how to overcome social and religious differences to save innocent lives.”
Best Director Award, with the citation: “The director excels in how he manages to keep the pace of the film in its mix of genres and how he explores existential questions and human values in the relationship between the protagonists, which include children.”
At the award ceremony in Zaragoza, director Nikola Vukčević shared the stage with legendary actress Nastassja Kinski. In May, the film celebrated its Hungarian premiere at the Zsigmond Vilmos International Film Festival, dedicated to the Oscar-winning Hungarian-born cinematographer. OBRAZ was screened in the main competition alongside only eight other international titles, including EMILIA PÉREZ (France-Mexico, 2024) — a film with 13 Oscar nominations, multiple Golden Globes, and five European Film Awards — and SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE (Ireland, 2024), winner of the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance at Berlinale 2024. And the journey continues: In June, OBRAZ had its Italian premiere at the glamorous Ischia Film Festival, competing in the official selection, where it received impressive reviews from critics. That was followed by the Portuguese premiere at the Avanca Film Festival (Jury special mention, Best Scenography). In August we were heading back to India for two festivals (Kolkata and Delhi), in Italia (Imago: Best cinematography) and in Montenegro international film festival (Best film). We start September in Italia, Calabria (Best feature film at i-Fest International FF) and Kazan IFF - (Best feature film). In the fall, we’ve been invited to a Rabat International Author FF (FICAR), as well as additional screenings in Italy. Most recently, the film was officially selected as Montenegro’s Oscar entry for the 2025 Academy Awards (Best International Feature Film), by the decision of the Commission of the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro. We are also proud to share that the film will soon have its U.S. premiere in selection at the prestigious San Diego International Film Festival in mid-October. The festival journey is going strong!
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Bernd Buder: A HISTORICAL FANTASY FILM COMPLETE WITH A HUMANISTIC MESSAGE

Bernd Buder, a former member of the selection team for the Berlin International Film Festival and currently the Program Director of the Cottbus Film Festival, wrote in the festival catalog: In a predominantly Albanian region of Montenegro, two families bury a decades-old blood feud shortly before the German invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941. The peace doesn’t endure for long however. Doka, who feels bound by the Kanun code of honour, and his former enemy Gjonaj find themselves on different sides of history after Gjonaj joins the SS division "Skanderbeg". Gjonaj also feels a stronger sense of obligation towards the Albanian tradition of the Kanun than to his oath to the "Third Reich": when a Montenegrin Christian boy being pursued by troops under his command finds refuge in Doka's house, he protects him in line with the Besa code of honour, the Albanian tradition according to which guests of a house are to be protected from enemies. Nikola Vukčević, succeeds here with his most recent work in creating a suspense-packed genre film rich in fantasy - at times horror-like - motifs, superlative landscape shots and characters that would be a match for THE LORD OF THE RINGS.