Deep traces of the great master

Stone. A woman. Burden. Krs. And the spirit, the spirit of Montenegro. How else to start a film that (also) bears the name Živka Nikolić.

The Montenegrin landscape in the eyes of the great cineaste, the timeless and universal microcosm of the community, the beauty of imperfection and the character of an authentic mentality enliven memory, bring warmth, fuel regret for an unfulfilled dream and unfinished work. But there is also anger at the circumstances and decisions that hindered one of the most important cinematographers of Montenegro and the region in his creativity.

Conceived as the last episode of the "Originals" series, the television movie "Strange People" was shot by Nikolić on a warm August day in the village of Karuč on Lake Skadar. Only seven days of filming were needed to complete the material. The director knew how it would end. But the end never happened, the material remained forgotten, Nikolić died in the meantime, and then he experienced the glorification and numerous honors that he undoubtedly deserved, but they arrived late... And late is quite relative and subjective, just like that "the right moment" which is often consolation, justification or longing...

After almost three decades of languishing in various depots, what was saved from the recorded material for the film "Strange People" was assembled into a whole, but not a filmic one, per se, but with incorporated elements of the present, memories, testimonies... And it was created documentary-feature film "Živko Nikolić - An unfulfilled dream" produced by Radio and Television of Montenegro. The feature parts of the film were directed by Živko Nikolić, and the documentary parts Senad Šahmanović who successfully answered the task.

On the birthday of Živko Nikolić, November 20, the film was shown in the repertoire of cinemas throughout Montenegro, and in Podgorica there was also a festive screening at the Montenegrin National Theater, after the film premiered this summer at the Film Festival in Herceg Novi.

The director Šahmanović approached both the existing and the material that had yet to be created with care, sensibility and the right measure. This would mean that there are no pretensions to make a film like Nikolić would have made or to forcibly complete his work and put his signature on it. Nevertheless, Šahmanović showed his own skill and hearing to present Nikolić's indisputable film manuscript with this production, to put the story itself on a pedestal, through drama, emotion, humor and authenticity, and to round it off with reality, testimonies and memories...

"Živko Nikolić - An Unreachable Dream" is not a film by Živko Nikolić, nor is it a film about Živko Nikolić. First of all, it is a film about film, a film about beauty, memory, nostalgia, a film about greatness, creation, creativity, about man, society, time, a little through laughter, a little through tears...

The warmth that warms the viewers as they indulge themselves in long-filmed feature segments slowly evolves into sadness and regret, to ultimately leave longing and emptiness.

Son of a famous director, Petar Nikolic in the documentary parts, he shares with viewers his dialogues with his father, a mixture of feelings that today seem so strong that they flirt with themselves, but also some of Živko's remarks, guidelines, pretensions, and even painful clips from life.

However, Živko does not give up on himself, just as he does not give up on Montenegro, to which he persistently returns, which is what Petar talks about near the end. Thus, his films are undoubtedly Montenegro in miniature, in pictures, in words, gestures, mimicry, in silence or roar. In addition to Peter, actors who were part of the cast of "Strange People" are also present in "Unfulfilled Dream". We are following Dijana Marojević i Svetlana Cemin how they review footage they see for the first time, and Mirko Vlahović on a tour of the site...

"Nothing has changed. Only this fig has grown a little. We have also grown, thanks to him", says Vlahović as he rides in a boat on Lake Skadar observing filming locations.

Recalling the director, Vlahović calls him a sage of Montenegrin and Yugoslav cinematography, unconventional, quiet, patient...

The question "what would happen if it happened" is asked by Dijana Marojević and leaves everyone with a puzzle, a vague and impossible answer. For her, the invitation to record with Živka was a dream invitation, an invitation to a strange journey... The impressions are still alive, but they bring a different melody.

The first tears sparkled in Svetlana Cemin's eyes. She watches the material, silent, sincere, emotional, repeating how glad she is that this kind of project is happening and how sorry she is that it didn't happen when it should have...

A similar thing happens towards the end of "The Dream"... Dijana Marojević, visibly full of different emotions, says how beautiful it all is! It's beautiful, she repeats. And the audience remains intoxicated by such beauty, and perhaps that is the best description of the film. He is so beautiful, close and pleasant that a tear secretly sparkles, so witty that laughter breaks through the hall sincerely and without hesitation, while mixing with some weight of established patriarchy, unsurpassed mentality and indescribable Montenegrin landscape. But in the end, there remains sadness and a desire for more...

If he had completed his work, it would certainly have been a different film, the ending would have been different, although one can sense something... Regardless, the traces of the great master's handwriting are deep, in every pore of the footage. Recognizable poetics demand admiration, mentality is reflected in authentic humor, archetypal themes are dealt with through a small man, in a village, in a typical family, while the softness of a girl's shiny skin emphasizes sensuality, carrying within itself the secret of life and art... Typical close-up shots emphasize the way of life. , man's firmness and strength, but also deep emotion, concern... In all the sequences, it can be seen that by carefully approaching people who were in the shadows and who were taken for granted, he was able to make a character, exposing the character... Or, as he said Petar Nikolić made stars out of them. You can also see the strength of the woman, his fascination with Montenegrins - mother, grandmother, wife, sister, but also girlfriend, or, in this case, girls, girlfriends, naive, cheerful, curious, on the threshold of life that is played out as the village dictates. .If he created the stars, then he also touched them. Here, too, his courage to tackle unexpected or taboo topics, to talk about what secretly hurts, but also to show the truth, reality, art, is noticeable. He depicted a time, depicted the ardor of youth, the beauty of freedom, but also the shackles of palanquins, alienation from others, the desire to escape but also to fight... Not giving up. Because he himself (was) like that...

The light of the photograph and captured shots rival painting masterpieces and give the effect of a dream, making Montenegro a mythical climate where fairies, love, tradition and patriarchy dance equally ecstatically. But also the song. Because the song is an indispensable element in the films of Živko Nikolić.

Sitting on the rock are young girls with white skin, organic beauty, each of them carries their own nerve of life, which is reflected in their smile and eyes, while the blackness of their costumes hides their physical beauty, making it mystical. They sit and sing "Ko ti kose mrsio Jelo"... The voice of the young actress echoes in Karuč Jelena Mile (Ivanisevic) and then others join her in chorus... With their voices, they show the whole range of sentiments of Montenegrin folk songs and singing practices...

And not long after at the very end - the collision of past and present. Actresses on the same stone, in the same place, on the lake, almost three decades later. Beautiful women, heroines: Dijana Marojević, Dubravka Drakić, Ivana Mrvaljević, Marina Bukvički, Bojana Kovačević, Jelena Mila. The recorded ending sobers and awakens and represents one of the most moving segments of the film... They remember, talk about where is which today, evoke only some of the top titles of the great genius and leave alive thoughts and questions... Until the song "Cobanice lijepa" is heard girl" and until the curtain comes down...

If the film "Živko Nikolić - An Unfulfilled Dream" should be described in one word, then the choice of the terms "Kintsugi" or "Kincukuroi", which in translation means "joining with gold", would fit it. This ancient Japanese technique represents a combination of art and philosophy and is based on accepting mistakes and imperfections, preserving, emphasizing and celebrating scars. That's partly how this film is...

Whether an unfulfilled dream remains unfulfilled or becomes unfulfilled is an unanswered question, undoubtedly with a caveat.

The culture of memory overcame oblivion

At the very end of the screening, some of the film's actors bowed to those present: the author of the script, prof. Dragan Koprivica, actresses Marina Bukvički, Ivana Mrvaljević, Vesna Vujošević Labović, son of Živko Nikolić, Petar, sound designer Igor Vukovic, cameraman Veselin Balandzic, director of photography Danilo Papić, series director Nastadin Bulatović and producer Igor Maraš.

The cast of the film also includes: Ljiljana Kontić, Dragomir Felba, Vera Crvenčanin Kulenović, Milutin Karadžić, Vesna Vujošević Labović and others...

In his address to the audience, Koprivica pointed out that with the appearance of the film after a risky wait of almost three decades, Montenegro proved that the culture of memory is stronger than the non-culture of forgetting. He greeted all the protagonists of the film, but also reminded of those who are not among the living. He especially emphasized the skill of Senad Šahmanović, who said in an interview with the media that the project was accompanied by great expectations...

Emotion was omnipresent in the film, and Šahmanović said that he paid special attention to it.

"As someone who deals with film and pays special attention to emotions, I was focused on that. It was important to me that the protagonists share their emotions, that they react, and then that the viewers recognize what is happening to them. Everyone had a similar reaction when they first saw the material. It is regret, regret for him, for the unfinished film, the unfulfilled dreams of the generation that was coming, but also regret for a time. For this material to see the light of day, it was a responsibility towards all of them," said Šahmanović.

He also added that the director Nikolić was symbolically with them, and that they took care of every detail, but also of the shots, editing...

Our Tarkovski of special aesthetics

Just as for Dijana Marojević, Živko Nikolić's invitation to act in his film was a dream (from) invitation, so for Ivana Mrvaljević, then a freshman at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, it was an honor, a challenge and an experience. After the screening, she shared with the media her joy about the film, but also her memories and nostalgia for him, for his creativity, "and for us in that certain time"...

Vesna Vujošević Labović, who watched the film and old material for the first time at CNP, confirms that the memory is alive, but at the same time fairy tale-like.

"Everything is somehow beautiful, the memory of those more carefree times is awakened. Živko as a great man, pedagogue and director, supported us in our work, was close to us, each of us received support from him and he opened a new space for each of us", she said, visibly emotional...

Marina Bukvički watched the film for the third time in Podgorica, but she feels the same - her heart trembles..., she said.

"The little man asked himself how come this kind of film didn't end, with such a special aesthetic man, who is fantastic, a wizard, our Tarkovsky, because his entire poetics and aesthetics, every frame is a Renaissance painting. He was really specific in his own way. Everyone wanted to work with such a man who saw the world through different eyes, in a subtle way he told the story of a nation that has its own history, tradition, and mentality. He fought for women and raised them to a pedestal that hardly any director practices today... He was special, he always had a thought and he knew exactly and precisely what he wanted, he was ready and worked hard, he approached everyone individually in a parental way ...", said Bukvički and concluded:

"The circle has finally closed, and in order for your heart to be complete, that must happen"...