We cannot escape from a primitive pattern where, regardless of which party is in power, the state's attitude towards culture has been repeated for years, so that instead of being the foundation of development and public interest, it is treated as decor that is pulled out when needed and then returned to the margins. This is the impression of the producer Dušana Kasalica which he shared for "Vijesti", and when it came to the past year.
"In such a system, work and competences are too often relativized, while decisions in culture are made according to the logic of short-term political arrangements, which inevitably leads to a vicious circle of stagnation - a society in which ignoring knowledge and underestimating achievements becomes common practice," he says.
Kasalica also states for "Vijesti" that the position of Montenegrin cinema in the international space depends on a number of factors, in addition to the films themselves, and most of all on the umbrella institution - the Film Center of Montenegro (FCCG).
Potholes of political and institutional pressures on the culture and cinematography sector are constantly reopening, he believes.
Kasalica also talks about the film "The Melting of the Rulers" directed by Ivana Salatić, which had a successful life after its premiere, and which will also start regional cinema distribution in the coming period, reveals the producer. He states that, in Salatić's style, "The Melting of the Rulers" brings a completely different atmosphere, poetics and plot to the Montenegrin stage, which is why he invites all those who haven't already - to watch the film. Kasalica further reveals more about how the audience perceives the film, which is brought into open correlation with Peter II Petrovic Njegoš, and talks about his upcoming projects. He also announces that his short feature film, for which he is both the scriptwriter and director, will premiere in London at the end of January, and the public will soon have the opportunity to hear more about it. Until then, Dušan Kasalica talks to "Vijesti" about Montenegrin cinema, culture in general, the vocation of a producer and the film that marked his 2025.
The year that is coming to an end has brought notable films to the Montenegrin scene, and among them, “The Melting of the Rulers” certainly stands out, which was shown all over the world. In a professional context, what left the strongest impression on you and how do you remember 2025?
On the one hand, I have the impression of many years of work on the film "The Melting of the Rulers", which premiered at the Rotterdam Festival in late January 2025 and was subsequently shown at festivals around the world with published reviews in almost all relevant film portals. On the other hand, I have the impression of life as a cultural worker in Montenegro in 2025, where, it seems to me, we cannot get out of a primitive pattern that, regardless of which party is in power, the state's attitude towards culture has been repeated for years in such a way that instead of being the foundation of development and public interest, culture is treated as decor that is pulled out when necessary, and then returned to the margins. In such a system, work and competencies are too often relativized, while decisions in culture are made according to the logic of short-term political arrangements, which inevitably leads to a vicious circle of stagnation - a society in which ignoring knowledge and underestimating achievements becomes common practice.
How do you see the position of Montenegrin cinema on the European stage and what would be the key to its further development?
The position of Montenegrin cinema in the international arena largely depends on the stability of the Film Center of Montenegro: on a clear strategy, professional management and continuity that protects quality and builds visibility. We have witnessed attempts to plunge the entire film sector into institutional confusion, including a dispute over the future director and disagreements over what the FCCG should be: a service for the profession or a training ground for reshaping priorities to suit daily interests. It is encouraging, on the other hand, that the majority have shown the self-awareness to recognize and evaluate the results already achieved. However, the previous months have shown how sensitive this framework is to political and institutional pressures and how much we all need to be focused and vigilant in order to fight for a minimum of dignity, which is to work without interference.
How much has the atmosphere in Montenegrin cinema changed since Salatić's debut film "You Have the Night", on which you also worked together? Also, does the success of the first film serve as a recommendation, or pressure, for the second one?
“The Melting of the Rulers” has been building significant visibility since the development phase, which naturally followed on from the success of Ivan’s previous film. I would like to briefly explain the development path of the film “The Melting of the Rulers”. This is the second feature film by director Ivan Salatić, whose film “You Have the Night” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2018. Due to its specific structure, narrative flow and authorial team, the film established a natural co-production with Italy, France, Croatia and Serbia, and was also supported by the European funds Creative Europe MEDIA and Eurimages. The contribution of the film’s producer is immeasurable Jelena Angelovski and co-producers: Nightswim (Italy), Bocalupo Films (France), Dinaridi Film (Croatia) and Non-Aligned Films (Serbia).
Producers often balance between artistic vision and the reality of the film industry. How do you perceive the role of producer and how much does it depend on the circumstances we live in and the conditions set in cinematography, in your case?
Film today is in an unenviable position: auteurs have reason to be frustrated, as production relies on fragile regional ecosystems and institutions that function under constant pressure. It often feels like a continuous walk on thin ice, with a real risk that the space for auteur work will collapse through financial exhaustion, institutional erosion and ideological drift towards rigid, in every sense wrong narratives. In such circumstances, production faces a series of practical and structural obstacles, but for me, the sustainable answer is to insist on competence, an investigative approach and courage in the process, on work that does not accept self-censorship and that defends the right of film to risk and experiment.
Considering that you also have an original feature film “Elegy of the Laurel” in the works, is it challenging for you, as a producer, to also dedicate yourself to directing?
For me, directing and producing are inseparable aspects of filmmaking. Especially in our conditions, a director should be aware of the production framework in which a film is created, because the vision is realized through concrete resources, time and the work of the crew. At the same time, in production, I believe that everything starts from trust in the director's intention, which is achieved through conversation, mutual complementarity and a relationship that is truly a partnership, almost symbiotic.
“The Melting of the Rulers” is a co-production of several countries, like most feature films today. How important is that type of cooperation and support for the film, the author, but also the country in general, and then for the audience (and in what ways)?
Co-productions are today a standard model for financing film production, especially in the European context, and as such they were a natural framework for our film. However, their meaning is not limited to financial construction: co-production implies a process in which knowledge is shared, and the project is built through research, learning and responsibility for what is created. For the audience, this contribution is most concretely seen in the greater visibility and accessibility of the film: as a rule, a film more easily finds distribution and festival space precisely in the territories of the countries that have invested support in its creation, so co-production also becomes a mechanism for expanding the audience and ensuring that the film reaches viewers outside its home environment.
Although “The Melting of the Rulers” relies on a certain historical narrative, it is not a classic biopic. How would you, as a producer, present this film, and how much does it speak about the past, but also about us today in 2025 or 2026?
The film “The Melting of the Rulers” possesses all the virtues of Salatić's previous works - above all, a poetic and visual way of expression. Such a specific and mature approach to film, through dealing with an epoch, is rare in this region. The film is open, so I would invite the audience, who has not yet seen the film, to watch it and surrender to it and to build that picture of history, but also of us today, for themselves.
The film deals with universal themes of exile, identity and belonging, but it is strongly rooted in our history and obviously in correlation with those of its well-known segments, but also with the somewhat almost mythologically created character of the bishop and ruler Petar II Petrović Njegoš. Have you thought about how the film, with its authentic and beautiful poetics, will be experienced by audiences in the Balkans, and then abroad, given its cultural and historical roots that we recognize here?
The film is strongly rooted in our historical and cultural space, and the local audience will easily recognize layers in it that cannot be reduced to a single explanation: the relationship to tradition, the way in which heritage is carried, and the figure of Petar II Petrović Njegoš, at the same time a historical figure and a collectively shaped symbol. That framework in the Balkans can enhance the experience, because it opens up a series of local resonances. However, I do not think that the film depends on that prior knowledge in order to communicate. In the question itself, you have already indicated what is the essence of the story and what is universal: the experience of facing heritage, role and belonging. That is why I believe that audiences outside the region will enter the film primarily through an emotional and existential line, even when they do not recognize specific historical references. As for form, it seems to me that Ivan has avoided dominant narrative models and the logic of an “easy” emotional effect. Instead of sentimentalization, the film builds its own rhythm and film language, which demands attention and indulgence, but in return offers a rarely original viewing experience.
And what are the impressions of the viewers, how do those who do not have certain knowledge about our political, historical and mental context perceive it, and how does the domestic audience, is there a difference?
Reactions, as expected, are divided along lines of experience: audiences outside the region most often experience the film as an atmospheric, psychological journey about the pressure of heritage and identity that is built under other people's expectations, without the need to "decipher" historical layers; domestic audiences more often read it through cultural codes and symbolic politics. The film does not confirm pre-established narratives, but rather opens up a distance between canonized myth and individual experience, thereby raising the question of how images of power are produced, maintained, and internalized.
Film today is in an unenviable position: authors have reason to be frustrated, as production relies on fragile regional ecosystems and institutions that function under constant pressure. It often feels like a continuous walk on thin ice, with a real risk that the space for auteur work will collapse through financial exhaustion, institutional erosion, and ideological drift towards rigid, in every sense wrong narratives.
The film premiered at the prestigious Rotterdam festival and had a rich festival and cinema life. What can we expect next?
The film continues its festival life, and regional cinema distribution is also expected in the coming period.
Is it feasible and sustainable for Montenegrin cinema to live beyond festivals, to interest domestic and regional audiences, and in what way?
Our cinema cannot be viewed in isolation from the global transformation of film: digital distribution has expanded accessibility, but has not abolished the social value of communal viewing in a cinema. Platforms are useful because they can give visibility to films that would otherwise not reach an audience, but they also carry serious risks; the centralization of catalogs and distribution leads to a narrowing of the offer and standardization of tastes, and the idea that, for example, a single global streamer takes over “premium” libraries like the HBO/Warner catalog shows how quickly a few actors can become the gatekeepers of access to content. That is why, in such an environment, it is crucial that small cinema insists on publicly funded curation, strong independent distribution, stable cinema and festival cycles, and promotion that directs audiences towards diversity, rather than towards what the algorithm most easily pushes.
What are you currently working on and what is on your repertoire for the coming year?
Meander Film is currently developing several projects in various stages of production, and the new news is that my short feature film “Tuesday or Thursday”, for which I am writing and directing, will have its world premiere at the London Short Film Festival in January 2026, a BAFTA- and BIFA-qualifying festival.
Audiences outside the region most often experience the film 'The Melting of the Rulers' as an atmospheric, psychological journey about the pressure of heritage and the identity that is built under other people's expectations, without the need to 'decipher' historical layers... Domestic audiences more often read it through cultural codes and symbolic politics.
Current and urgent film "Until the End of the Day"
You are a co-producer of the feature film “Until the End of the Day” directed by Jelena Maksimović. When can the audience expect this film and what does it bring us?
This is a new film by Jelena Maksimović, produced by Jelena Angelovski from Taurunum Film (Serbia). For Meander Film, this is a project that stems from close cooperation and friendship and as such represents a logical sequence of events. I am especially proud to be a part of the film because it is socially and politically topical and urgent. I truly believe in the quality of what the entire team of authors led by Jelena has done, as well as in the contribution of co-producers Staragar (Slovenia) and PREMIERstudio (Bulgaria). The film is currently in post-production, it was just presented at the prestigious Les Arcs Film Festival as part of the Work in Progress section, and the premiere is expected next year.
Bonus video:
