Nikola Vukcevic for CdM on “Obraz”: Are we ready to lay down our lives for others?

2026-02-18 - 07:26

Director Nikola Vukcevic speaks about the strong domestic premiere of his new film “Obraz” (The Tower of Strength), which opened in Podgorica after a highly successful international festival run with more than 20 awards. Although global recognition brought professional satisfaction, Vukcevic says the true test was the Montenegrin audience. Sold-out screenings and emotional reactions confirmed that the film passed its most important exam — the exam of genuine emotion at home. “Obraz” is a war drama set at the beginning of World War II, inspired by Zuvdija Hodzic’s story about moral courage. It follows a Muslim Albanian man, Nur Doka, who shelters an Orthodox boy whose family was killed by an SS unit, forcing him to choose between saving his own family or protecting the child. The film explores honour, sacrifice, and whether a person is ready to risk everything to preserve humanity. Vukcevic explains that the project took eight years to complete and became even more relevant over time. While he does not believe art can change laws or politics, he believes it can change individual consciousness. If the film encourages even one viewer to question what they would do in such a moral dilemma, he considers the effort worthwhile. He also highlights the importance of regional cooperation, noting that “Obraz” is a Montenegrin, Serbian, and Croatian co-production, demonstrating how art can transcend borders. Despite financial challenges and filming during the pandemic, Vukcevic sees the film as one of the most meaningful achievements of his career — a victory of persistence, integrity, and belief in storytelling without compromise. At its core, he concludes, the film’s central message is simple: even in the harshest circumstances, a person always has a choice — to remain human or not.