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Docu Press Corner: TO HOLD A MOUNTAIN and DON’T ASK ME IF I KILLED

The Docu Press Corner program opened today with a panel on the films THE MOUNTAIN and DON’T ASK ME IF I KILLED.

Today’s Docu Press Corner featured a discussion on the films TO HOLD A MOUNTAIN and DON’T ASK ME IF I KILLED. Rada Šešić, the programmer for the Documentary Competition, hosted the event alongside members of the filmmaking crews.

Biljana Tuturov, co-director of TO HOLD A MOUNTAIN, spoke about the intersection of the personal and the political in her work: "I consider myself a political person and I am frustrated by the state of the world. I believe real change comes from the intimate sphere, and that is what inspired me to make this film."

The film, which won the Grand Prix at Sundance, follows a mother and daughter trying to protect a mountain in Montenegro from being turned into a military training ground. Co-director Petar Glomazić added that locals do not see this mountain as an object, but as a living being and a "mother."

The crew also highlighted the visual challenges of the project. Director of Photography Eva Kraljević emphasized that her biggest challenge was to avoid making the stunning nature look superficial, like a postcard. Interestingly, neither director formally studied film—Tuturov is an art historian, while Glomazić is a mechanical engineer. According to Tuturov, securing funding for the film was surprisingly easy because people recognized the importance of the story.

The conversation shifted to heavier topics with the film DON’T ASK ME IF I KILLED.

Director Helena Maksyom is also a soldier serving on the front lines in Ukraine.

"Even though I am a pacifist, I was forced to take up arms. I didn’t plan this film; it was an inner necessity," Maksyom said. She shot and edited the film during breaks between battles on the front line, never knowing if she would survive to finish it.

Producer Adrian Pirvu described her incredible organizational skills amidst the chaos of war, which made the editors' jobs much easier. Despite the harsh conditions, Maksyom emphasized that the finished film turned out exactly as she had envisioned.

"The only thing that mattered to me was for the audience to get to know the people who died. After all, they protected my life," she concluded.