The film about the legendary basketball player Dražen Petrović was withdrawn from the program of a film festival due to a dispute related to the arrival of director Danilo Šerbedžija. The festival director Darja Bajić Božović explained that the film was withdrawn because of the potential arrival of Šerbedžija, which producers from Zagreb considered problematic. The festival maintained its decision not to welcome Šerbedžija, although the film was regarded as high quality. The Serbian premiere of the film took place peacefully in December last year, with the authorial and acting team present at the press conference. There was also a dispute over the film’s authorship rights between producers and the director. This situation attracted attention and various reactions within the film community.
Political Perspectives:
Left: Left-leaning outlets tend to emphasize the cultural and artistic value of the film and criticize the festival’s decision to withdraw it, framing it as censorship or an unjust exclusion of the director Danilo Šerbedžija. They highlight the importance of artistic freedom and the negative impact of political or personal disputes on cultural events.
Center: Center-leaning sources report the facts of the withdrawal neutrally, focusing on the official statements from the festival director and producers. They present the dispute over the director’s presence and authorship rights as the main reasons for the withdrawal, without taking a strong stance. The coverage includes the film’s quality and the peaceful premiere, aiming for balanced reporting.
Right: Right-leaning media may focus on the controversy and the festival’s firm stance against Danilo Šerbedžija, possibly framing it as a justified decision to maintain the festival’s integrity. They might emphasize the producers’ concerns and the importance of respecting the festival’s rules, while downplaying the artistic arguments or framing the dispute as a conflict of personalities.
