Minister of Culture and Media Tamara Vujović said that the potential for cultural cooperation between Montenegro and Hungary is greatest in the film industry, as Budapest is the second most sought-after film destination in Europe.
She said this during her visit to the Western Balkans Summit on Culture and Education, which was held in Budapest and organized by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary.
The summit was opened by the Minister of Culture and Innovation of Hungary, Balazs Hanko.
Vujović said that cooperation can help further develop the Montenegrin film industry, and that the rich cooperation will be deepened in the field of cultural heritage.
She emphasized that focusing on cultural ties and cooperation is a fundamental principle for building positive relations between the societies and peoples of the Balkan region and Europe.
"We are proud to share common values within the region and with our host country, Hungary. Our cultural heritage connects us, because culture creates synergy, and our differences inspire us," added Vujović.
Vujović pointed out that Montenegro and Hungary have long nurtured intensive cultural cooperation, especially in the Cultural Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Culture and Media and the Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary for the period 2024–2027.
"This document not only formalizes our ties, but also opens the door to new initiatives in the fields of music and performing arts, theater, cinema, visual arts, literature, and translation," she said.
The potential for cooperation, she added, exists especially in the film industry, as Hungary is an outstanding example of how a strategic approach can transform a country into the second most sought-after film destination in Europe.
"Thanks to exceptional film studios, productions from Hollywood to India are coming to Hungary. Montenegro, on the other hand, has beautiful, authentic and attractive locations, mountains and coasts, which can be a complementary offer," said Vujović.
Therefore, as Vujović said, the exchange of experiences in this area would be of exceptional value.
"Just imagine the potential - foreign productions coming to film along our coastline, in locations they can't find anywhere else, creating new jobs, supporting the local economy and further promoting our cultural and natural heritage," the statement said.
Vujović pointed out that the advantage of co-production arrangements is that they generate more audiences and more revenue, as well as the possibility of forming a streaming platform for cinematographers throughout the region, thus creating a new audience.
Vujović said that when talking about heritage, it was emphasized that Boka and parts of Montenegro, more than a hundred years ago, were part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and part of the architectural heritage from that period today represents an important segment of Montenegrin cultural heritage.
"Fortifications, military barracks, roads, trails, archival materials, cartography and photographs are not only relics of the past, but also witnesses to our common history and cultural ties. Our countries share a past marked by borders that were often meeting points of different influences, but also shared experiences, war histories, traditions, customs and cultural patterns that shaped our identity. After World War II, we lived under similar social systems, sharing the aesthetics of socialist realism in architecture, art, culture and everyday life. The experiences of living under different empires, socialism and capitalism have allowed us to learn the best, but also recognize the most challenging aspects of different systems," Vujović believes.
She said that Montenegro does not have many young experts who deal with conservation, protection, restoration, and archaeology in the field of cultural heritage, and that is why a program was launched at the Faculty of Fine Arts a few years ago, which deals with educating young people in this field.
"It is important that the elderly pass on knowledge to the younger generations so that they can continue to preserve our rich heritage. That is why the connection between culture and education is very important. We are interested in connecting with Hungary in this area, so that our students can be educated at Hungarian universities in the fields of cultural heritage protection, and return home with knowledge," said Vujović.
When it comes to common heritage, she placed special emphasis on intangible cultural heritage.
"Folklore, music, folk costumes, oral traditions, the multitude of different languages, customs, and traditions in this region are what make the space ambiguous and interesting. What unites us are common, universal values that need to be strengthened and promoted. Knowledge about heritage, especially intangible ones, needs to be carefully researched, scientifically addressed, and then passed on to future generations, making it not only a part of the past, but also very much alive and important in the future, in which the 'House of Hungarian Heritage offers excellent examples'," Vujović assessed.
The summit was also attended by representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia.
The panel also included speakers from the Government Commissioner for the Promotion of Hungarian Cinematography, Csaba Kael, Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Laszlo Bean, and General Director of the House of Hungarian Heritage, Miklos Both, who presented successful examples of Hungary in various fields of culture.
"After presentations by country representatives and a discussion on cooperation models, it was proposed to organize a Regional Cultural Forum that would bring together experts from the aforementioned cultural fields, and which would be a platform for exchanging knowledge and experiences, connecting and implementing concrete cooperation projects and programs," the statement reads.
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