The film ‘Role Model’ (Vzornik) by Nejc Gazvoda was presented at the 52nd International Film Festival FEST, which the Belgrade audience can see in the FEST Focus programme.
Serbian producer Nikolina Vučetić Zečević spoke about the film a few hours before the premiere, on 27 February, at the Cultural Centre of Belgrade (7.30 p.m.).
‘Role Model’ is the third feature film directed by Nejc Gazvoda, and it deals with the topic of peer violence. According to Vučetić Zečević, Slovenia, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Italy are the producers of the film, and the project was in preparation for a long time because the director had the idea that this
kind of film should be made as far back as 2002.
‘I also felt a personal responsibility as a parent, who has a child of the same age as the protagonist of this film, but also as a producer, to make a film like this. The responsibility of all of us adults is tremendous, and if we adults do not change models, patterns of behaviour, children will have a very bad role model. I think that after Covid, when every person fought with that kind of confinement in their own way, we have an expansion of everything that was suppressed and silenced for years at all levels,’ pointed out the producer.
‘Unfortunately, the weakest suffer the most, namely children, women and the elderly, and a film should be made about them. From the youngest age, we are told "shut up, do not complain" and if the family is not functional, where will the child learn the line between not tolerating violence and constant
complaining,’ she concluded.
The cast of ‘Role Model’ includes France Mandić, Mojca Funkl, Jure Henigman, Vesna Pernarčič, Klara Kuk, Marina Redžepović, Matej Puc, Luka Cimprič, and the film will be screened on 28 February (Belgrade Youth Centre, 6 p.m.) and 29 February (MTS Hall, Hall 1, 2 p.m.).
