“The Mountain” is the heart of this year’s Underhill

This is the moment we've been waiting for - said the author of the film "The Mountain" Biljana Tutorov to meet the Montenegrin Prime Minister.

The achievement was crowned with a series of awards, including the award for best documentary film at the renowned Sundance Film Festival (Sandens) at the world premiere, signed by the author duo Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazic, will be screened tomorrow evening, June 9th in Podgorica, at the opening of the 17th edition of the UnderhillFest International Documentary Film Festival.

"Sundance is great, but showing the film to the people we made it with and in the culture it was inspired by (various layers of Montenegrin culture, you'll see epic, visual, and cinematic), is something that makes us very happy, but also a little nervous," Tutorov added at today's press conference.

Before the film screening at 9 pm, the opening ceremony of the festival, which celebrates documentary film in all its fullness, will be held at 8:30 pm on the basketball court in Njegošev Park, choosing topics that encourage reflection, emotion, struggle, silence, but also togetherness.

Spokesperson Underhilla Miroslav Miro Minic At the beginning, he reminded that the repertoire includes 28 films divided into four categories: regional, international, out-of-competition and the "Seven Short" selection. The Festival's artistic director and selector Vuk Perovic further spoke more about the program, which is available on the festival's social media profiles and the festival's official website.

"We have reached the year of adulthood! I think that this year we have a strong selection of films in each of the competitive selections and very interesting ones in the out-of-competition selection. We have works by proven authors, big names, but also a lot of debuts - those who are new names in cinematography, regional cinematography above all... We believe that regional cinematography is extremely potent and strong, but that we do not talk about it enough," assessed Perović.

Speaking about the Montenegrin-Serbian co-production "The Mountain", which opens the program, he said that he was sure that every country in the world would be extremely proud of the fact that the film was awarded at Sundance, while Minić assessed that "The Mountain" was a historic success.

"As a festival, we are extremely proud that 'The Mountain' will be opened by Underhill and that it will be the regional premiere of the film, but also because we will all be able to share this story together in a beautiful setting and enjoy it all," said Perović.

Tutorov added that she herself is "super happy" to be back at Underhill.

"We can't wait to show you the film! We've already traveled a lot with it around the world and we've had a few more Grand Prix wins since Sundance. People are reacting well, and we hope that the Montenegrin audience will have good impressions as well," said Tutorov.

Glomazić pointed out that the film takes place in Sinjajevina, which itself is one of the characters.

"That was one of the guiding ideas... A place that was not much known about, even in Montenegro, let alone outside of it, and was probably considered to be some bare, desolate land that was not very important... However, the reality is completely different. It is an extremely important place, rich in nature, but also culturally and historically important for the people who live there. And that was a great inspiration. I, poisoned by the beauty of the Montenegrin mountains and life in those mountains since early childhood, really wanted to bring a story from that region. It is most beautiful to show a film at home, but, as Biljana notes, it is also the most difficult," he said.

He added that he is especially happy that the film's heart is a story about women.

"Especially because in the exceptionally rich treasury of epic poetry, traditions, and stories in our culture, there are an awful lot of men and an awful lot of women. Women have somehow disappeared from our sight and remained nameless mothers of heroes. And we see for ourselves that, if we open our eyes just a little, the true heroes of our history and the workers of the mountain who carried families are actually women. And this film is, among other things and most of all, about them," said Glomazić.

Tutorov added that at the heart of the project is actually a life-long encounter with the protagonists and with the livestock community that rises on Okrugljak.

"They are the ones who, in a way, nurtured and guided the process. And yes, I'm glad that they will finally be able to see this film, even though Gara and Nada saw it before the premiere," said Tutorov.

Minić also reminded that the film was filmed for a long time, and asked how the concept and the script itself changed over the years of work, and Tutorov replied that there had been no major changes since they went through the first phase.

"Petar started researching back in 2018 and in the initial phase was more attached to male characters. But, the same day we met Gara and Nada, it was clear to both of us that this was a film. There was no longer any doubt about it. Furthermore, when they started sharing with us their fate and that of their family and their incredibly interesting and layered relationship, it was clear what the film actually was. Of course, it took a lot of time to capture the pieces of that story, because we didn't want to exploit them. We had very clear ethical principles that we didn't want to violate. We were also aware that in our cultures, emotions are not talked about much and emotions are not articulated in words, so we knew that we would need time for that too... In addition, Nada was small, she was 12 and a half years old. We knew that it would take us years for her to grow up. In addition, she works a lot, and we can't exactly film all day. And so it was clear that we would need time. In the end, if we talk about script, it only crystallized over the years and the form of the film was sought, but it really took that time to approach everything with some sensitivity," Tutorov said.

The power and importance of regional cinema

Congratulations and satisfaction on the eve of the domestic premiere of the film "The Mountain" were expressed by all participants in the press conference, and in addition to the aforementioned, representatives of the following institutions: the Ministry of Culture and Media (MKM) Svetlana Visnjic, Montenegrin cinemas Nemanja Becanovic, Film Center of Montenegro (FCCG) Marko Erakovic, as well as the communications manager of the company "One" Tina Raičević and Executive Director of the Center for Women's Rights Maja Raičević.

A rich program is expected in the continuation of the festival, and Perović also highlighted the guest appearance Ivan Ramljak, a director from Croatia, who is known for his film "The Peacemaker", for which he was awarded at the Leipzig festival.

"Ivan will also have a masterclass a day later, at the Montenegrin Cinematheque, so anyone who is interested can come. The program also includes a film Srdjan Kovačević which was also awarded in Leipzig, and another achievement that comes to us from Croatia...", said Perović, emphasizing the strength and importance of regional cinematography, both here and throughout Europe, which the Montenegrin audience can see for themselves during Underhill.

Perović added that the festival was also launched as a form of support for Montenegrin cinematography.

"For years now, somehow we have all been telling these stories together, and this year we have six Montenegrin works in the program, which is very important to us. And as I said earlier, I am extremely glad that in many cases we are talking about some new names, more precisely about debutants in the world of cinema," said Perović.

The unresolved issue of the status of a festival of national importance

When asked by a "Vijesti" journalist about the status of the application and the title of a festival of national importance in culture, for which the Secretariat for Culture of the Capital City once proposed Underhill Fest and the FIAT International Alternative Theater Festival, Perović said that it was a great initiative and that they expected it to be realized.

"The situation in which you start from scratch every year is not at all simple or easy, and we have been doing this for seventeen years. I think that over all these years we have shown and proven that we are not here for one summer, but that we care about doing this long-term, and that this is not just our story, but the story of a much broader community and society in general," he said, adding that they are ready as organizers to comply with every possible procedure that is necessary for this.

Višnjić stated that MKM understands, respects and supports everything Underhill does for documentary films and culture.

"When it comes specifically to the status of a festival of national importance, what I can say is that a new regulation should come into force very soon, and then all festivals, according to clearly defined criteria, will be able to apply for the status of a festival of national importance and will have equal chances for it, in relation to what they do," said Višnjić.

She pointed out that she herself grew up with the Festival, and speaking on behalf of the department, she noted that over the past two decades, Underhill has grown into one of the most recognizable and important film events in the country.

"The Ministry of Culture and Media is particularly pleased to stand by the festival this year, whose continuity is not only the number of years it has lasted, but also the best confirmation of the quality, professionalism and trust it has built with the audience, authors and partners. The Ministry's continued support for Underhill stems from the belief that it is an event that has made an immeasurable contribution to the development of documentary film in Montenegro and the affirmation of culture in its broadest form and sense," she said.

She also recalled that documentary film, especially today, reminds us of the importance of understanding, empathy, and facing reality.

"That is precisely why festivals like Underhill have a special value for contemporary society and the cultural development of a country. MKM will continue to support projects that build the cultural identity of Montenegro, encourage creativity and contribute to the international visibility of our culture. I congratulate the organizing team on a great program, and I wish all the authors a successful festival, many inspiring meetings and the festival atmosphere that Podgorica and Montenegro deserve," said Višnjić.

Support for Montenegrin documentary filmmaking

Marko Eraković from FCCG pointed out that it is particularly important that the festival recognizes domestic documentary films.

"In addition to 'The Mountain', there are two short films supported by FCCG, as well as the film 'Butterfly' by Sara Stijović, which was supported in a joint competition between the Film Center and the Faculty of Dramatic Arts. There are also projects that were created outside the institutional support of the Film Center, but we are certainly looking forward to seeing them," he pointed out.

Eraković added that "on the wave of that success," FCCG will continue to pay special attention to documentary film and authors from Montenegro this year and throughout 2027. He also stated that FCCG supports various program and educational segments of Underhill from year to year, especially those aimed at educating younger authors, students and high school students.

"We believe that Underhill is a great platform to popularize documentary film among young people. Vuk's selection is valuable because it gives everyone the opportunity to watch the best that comes from the world and the region when it comes to documentary film in one place, during the festival. I hope that it will continue with the same pace and enthusiasm," said Eraković.

On behalf of the Montenegrin Film Archive, director Nemanja Bečanović pointed out that he always looks forward to the new edition of UnderhillFest.

"It is a festival that has a strong reputation, not only in Montenegro, but also in the region, perhaps even wider. Although we are actually engaged in preserving the cultural heritage of older films, it is always interesting for us to cooperate with the festival and to actually address that younger audience in some way on which that entire, well, future rests. On the other hand, what is very important to Kinoteka, but also to Underhill, is the preservation of precisely that cultural heritage of watching films in the cinema, on the screen..., especially since the younger generations, although also older, are now already accustomed to watching films via platforms. Film in general, and when it is created, is created as a collective experience, not an individual one, and in that sense it is very important that we support this festival, because, as the word itself means, it is a celebration - a celebration of film," said Bečanović.

The Montenegrin Cinematheque is a partner in the realization of Ivan Ramljak's masterclass, as well as the program "In Focus" - from June 11 to 13, from 18 p.m. Maja Raičević proudly pointed out that this is the 10th year of that program, and therefore of the cooperation between the Center for Women's Rights and UnderhillFest. She also stated that the films shown at UnderhillFest live on after the screenings, and gave the example of the film "Lavender" Mateje Raickovic, which won "Dandelion" for best short documentary at Underhill last year.

"Mateja's brave step forward on the topic of violence against women offered us the opportunity and tool to talk about the topic of sexual violence, which is still a taboo in Montenegrin society, precisely through the screenings of this film and through the discussions that we organize afterwards. And I am particularly pleased that during nine screenings throughout Montenegro we were guests in high schools, universities, and cultural centers, and that this film was able to be seen by about four hundred young people, their professors and teaching staff, and that they then participated in the discussions that we organized, in which Mateja herself also participated. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank her especially, even though she is not here today," said Maja Raičević.

She also expressed her gratitude to the Underhill team and praised them for never forgetting topics that are insufficiently or inadequately represented, or generally insufficiently present in our environment.

"I am also grateful to them for giving us the opportunity to talk about them in a way that is personal, emotional, powerful and that, I would say, involves the audience in the best possible way, offering them the opportunity to change their perspective and look at things from a slightly different angle than the one they are used to," said Raičević.

Tina Raičević from the company "One", which is a partner of UnderhillFest, pointed out that this year they also supported the educational program "Teen Docs", as well as the music program.

"We wanted to follow the rhythm of young people, and that's why, in cooperation with our new partner, the Youth Education Center, we launched a vibe offer, because, it seems to me, at this moment, it's not enough for young people to just be online. They want to have a sense of freedom, connection, and the feeling that someone understands their needs. That's why, in cooperation with the organizers of UnderhillFest and the Youth Education Center, we decided to give the Underhill audience a musical concert by Rothko Stewart at the very end of the festival, on the last day, June 17," she said.

She also reminded that in cooperation with the company "One", a live stream of conversations with the authors and guests of the festival will be realized, via social networks and YouTube.

Speaking about the music program, Minić stated that the opening is being handled by "qsh&dvige" - a team that works at Underhill and creates a great atmosphere every year. On Saturday, the music is handled by Pedja Radovic.

"It is important to note that in the educational program, in addition to masterclasses and Teen Docs, this year we also have Student Docs, which actually existed before, and has now been resumed," said Minić.

He also reminded that the jury for feature films consists of: Maja Milakovic, Dusan Vulekovic i Dejan Petrovic, noting that they were all guests of Underhill in previous years. The jury for the "Seven Short" selection includes Mateja Raičković, Kaća Žarić i Elena Meloncelli.

Screenings will be held in Njegošev Park, CKZ Ribnica and the Montenegrin Cinematheque. In case of rain, the reserve location is the Radosav Ljumović National Library, it was announced. Traditionally, admission is free at the opening and closing of the festival, and from June 10 to 16, the price of a daily ticket is three euros. Admission is free for children, students with an index or student card, pupils with a student ID card, young people with an EYCA card or CKB Junior card.