"It's almost two years since the Board of Directors of the Film Center of Serbia
canceled the Competition for Eminent Directors at which my respected colleagues Želimir Žilnik, Goran Marković and my little one received funds for new films", reminded Srđan Dragojević on his Facebook profile.
Dragojević, Marković and Žilnik sued the Film Center after that. After a year, they received a letter from the Administrative Court with the information that
their case is in the "Preparatory Department of this court and it will be presented to the reporting judge for work after the files are completed". And since then, nothing.
"I'm afraid that the public has completely forgotten about this," says Srđan Dragojević for the "Vremena" portal, noting that the case of the eminent directors has been in court for two years, and that "this same court reacted quickly to the issue of Sinisa Malog's fake doctorate."
He states that the members of the new Board of Directors of the Film Center of Serbia were reminded of their case, and that they replied "that it was a matter for those before them and that they have nothing to do with it".
This tells Dragojević that the Film Center of Serbia has no intention "to re-announce that competition, even though immediately after it was cancelled, they publicly announced that they would repeat it."
As a reminder, only authors who have participated in foreign festivals of the A category can participate in the competition for co-financing films by eminent directors. Currently, it is still only Goran Marković, Želimir Žilnik and Srđan Dragojević, directors who are not on the list of state favourites.
"Several years ago, through a friend, I received a message from a high official of SNS that, while they are in power, I will not be able to do an advertisement for toilet paper here either." Nothing terrible. Moreover, fair. I do some advertising in the region, and that's how I manage to support my family."
"I don't think that Vučić directly ordered it, but that it is self-censorship of both agencies and clients." Why would they risk SNS hearing that I work for them, and sending them all the inspections that exist, plus the tax authorities."
Dragojević says that he regularly competes in all competitions of the Film Center, last year with four screenplays - unsuccessfully. This year, out of nine, the film "Osmi March" will also receive two million dinars.
"For four years in Serbia, I literally did nothing." I can congratulate them on their consistency. And I don't even speak against them, I'm not in public. They know very well that I have only one, intense emotion towards them, a kind disgust," says Dragojević.
He emphasizes that "for this competition where I won the money two years ago - I will not give up!"
"I just told Goran Marković - the best thing would be for the two of us to sit nicely, not on styrofoam, but on folding director's chairs, in front of the Administrative Court or the Film Center and go on strike!" I don't really see any other solution," says Srđan Dragojević.
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