World premiere

Forever Hold Your Peace

Local title
Vaiki igavesti
Title in Russian
Молчите вечно
Original title
Živi i zdravi
Director
Ivan Marinović
Country
Montenegro, Serbia, Czechia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Slovenia
Year
2023
Programme
Focus: Serbia and SEE* Neighbours, Official Selection - Competition
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Subject
elderly people, interpersonal relationships, love, hatred, adventures, lifestyle, absurd

“Cock-a-doodle-do! What’s the problem?”

This heartwarming and explosive Montenegrin comedy is not only about a wedding. Charming traditions ironically blend with strict rules, authentic local chants, and crazy customs in a mad reunion. Muted accusations, hidden desires, and repeated flaws ignite a steamy conflict between hating relatives.

Two nights before the wedding day in a scenic village, physiotherapist Dragana doubts whether she really wants to get married. The celebration can’t be cancelled or postponed like the Olympics or the Eurovision. She loved noble Momir once but became displeased by his weaknesses and dutiful following advice on what to do and how to behave. Wise patriarch Leso negotiates one particularly cruel and sweet deal as part of a larger plan to alleviate the shame. Dragana has a problem: she dreams of injuring or rather killing the pathetic Momir! This is not fair, but everything must be lovely.

Ivan Marinović is probably the only Montenegrin, capable of making up such profoundly hilarious situations out of unhappiness, misery, selfishness, envy, illness, alcoholism, and wickedness. His debut comedy “The Black Pin” travelled to 50+ festivals and established the Balkan comic standard. Skilfully penned farce entangles an impressive gang of talented and awarded Balkan cinema stars in cheerful twists, weird drunk jokes, indecent affairs, absurd pranks, and the dance of fake smiles when your soul is just upset.

Edvinas Pukšta

Director
Ivan Marinović
Screenwriter
Ivan Marinović
Cast
Tihana Lazović, Goran Slavić, Momčilo Pićurić, Goran Bogdan, Snježana Sinovčić Šiškov, Dragana Dabović, Nikola Ristanovski, Mirjana Joković, Dejan Đonović
Producer
Marija Stojanović, Ivan Marinović
DoP
Dominik Istenič
Composer
Toni Kitanovski
Runtime
Language
Serbo-Croatian
Subtitles
Estonian, English

Film Center Serbia

Film Center Serbia

Croatian Audiovisual Centre

Croatian Audiovisual Centre

Grand Prix for The Best Film, grant of 20 000 euros from the city of Tallinn, Award for Best Director, grant of 5000€ from Alexela

Screenings

Chill-Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening100103 / Vaiki igavesti
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Q&A guestsIvan Marinović (Director, Producer, Screenwriter), Marija Stojanović (Producer), Jožko Rutar (Producer), Dejan Krajčevski (Producer), Veronika Kuhrova (Co - producer), Maja Popović Milojević, (Producer), Goran Slavic (Cast), Tihana Lazovic (Cast), Dominik Istenič (Cienmatographer), Toni Kitanovski (Composer)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Hall Electric Cinema, TARTU
Screening114201 / Vaiki igavesti
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Screening duration
9th Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening120905 / Vaiki igavesti
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Screening duration
Trailer
Q&A with the filmmaker