Baltic premiere

Guardians of the Formula

Local title
Süsteemi valvurid
Title in Russian
Стражи формулы
Original title
Čuvari formule
Director
Dragan Bjelogrlić
Country
Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia
Year
2023
Programme
Opening film, Focus: Serbia and SEE* Neighbours
Genre
historical drama, biographical
Subject
science, historical personas

“Are you sure you want to help us, Doctor? You are not treating us. You are experimenting on us.”

Oppenheimer, as Christoph Nolan described in his recent titular film, warned us about the nuclear race. While the American scientist was being cross-examined in the US, a top-secret scientific research experiment began at the Vinča Institute near Belgrade.

On 15 October 1958, human error or a faulty reactor caused a ten-minute uncontrollable chain reaction that irradiated everyone present. The incident was classified for decades but in 2017, Professor Goran Milašinović uncovered the fact in a semi-fictional novel “The Case of Vinča”, which inspired this award-winning Balkan thriller.

48 hours after the event, the gravely irradiated scientist Dragoslav Popović and three assisting students flew into Paris Airport. Their health is deteriorating rapidly day by day. What could have happened behind the securely closed doors of the Vinča Institute?

The anti-bomb French oncologist Georges Mathé believes that Mr. Popović doesn’t deserve to be cured. After several painful attempts, he suggests an untested bone marrow graft as the only alternative to save the unfortunate patients. While doctors have no idea how to convince donors, car mechanic Rejmon and his wife, perfumer Odette, volunteer upon reading an article about young Yugoslavs sentenced to death in a secluded hospital. Incredible friendship bonds them in a risky transplant ordeal without guaranteed outcomes.

Edvinas Pukšta

Director
Dragan Bjelogrlić
Screenwriter
Vuk Ršumović, Ognjen Sviličić, Dragan Bjelogrlić
Cast
Alexis Manenti, Radivoje Raša Bukvić, Lionel Abelanski, Ognjen Mićović, Anne Serra, Jérémie Laheurte
Producer
Dragan Bjelogrlić, Dragan Šolak
DoP
Ivan Kostić
Editor
Milena Predić
Composer
Aleksandar Ranđelović
Runtime
Language
Serbian, French
Subtitles
Estonian, English

Croatian Audiovisual Centre

Croatian Audiovisual Centre

Film Center Serbia

Film Center Serbia

Screenings

Hall Alexela Concert Hall
Screening272727 / Süsteemi valvurid
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Q&A guestsDragan BjelogrliĆ (Director, Producer, Screenwriter), Alexis Manenti (Cast), Radivoje Bukvić (Cast)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Hall Athena Center, Tartu
Screening054102 / Süsteemi valvurid
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Screening duration
1st Saku hall Apollo Kino Solaris
Screening141104 / Süsteemi valvurid
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Screening duration
Trailer
Q&A with the filmmaker