25.01.2019.
Premiere of the movie “Gladly does the Serb become a soldier”
The documentary “Gladly does the Serb become a soldier” of the “Zastava Film” Military Film Centre has been premiered at the Kombank Hall tonight.
Lieutenant Colonel Goran Ikonić, director of the “Zastava Film” Military Film Centre, welcoming the audience, pointed out that tonight's premiere was organised on the occasion of marking 140 years of military press and 70 years of “Zastava Film” – a house that has continuously been registering the military life in this region, cherishing traditions and keeping memories of our famous ancestors.
- If there was no Rista Marjanović and his photographs, we would not have a clear picture about the military's military deployment from Tzer to Kaimaktsalan today, and the world would have no complete idea of the role and significance of the Serbian army in the Great War and the sufferings it endured, Lieutenant Colonel Ikonić said.Documentary full-lenght film, directed by professor Dragan Elčić, Dean of the Academy of Arts in Belgrade, is a screened story about Rista Marjanović (1885-1969) the first Serbian photojournalist, photo editor of the New York Herald, who recorded by camera the great epic, the struggle for survival and heroism of Serbian soldiers in the World War I.
Dragan Elčić, director of the film, said that it has been for 25 years that he wanted to make a film about Rista Marjanović and that the great story behind Rista just started with this accomplishment, so he hopes that it will have continuation as there certainly is enough material for that.
Photographs by Rista Marjanović testify about the hell of the Albanian Golgotha, outraged, sick and injured Serbian soldiers on the shores of Corfu. Being exhibited at the world exhibition in Paris in 1916, then in London and New York, they testified more than the words that the six divisions of the Serbian army were saved and recovered and were preparing for the front at Corfu. The world began to believe in the truth that the Serbian army exists, and with it the Serbian state.
Members of the team that made this film accomplishment with much will, knowledge and love, apart from Prof. Dragan Elčić – a screenwriter, and director and Lieutenant Colonel Goran Ikonić – a producer, are Aleksandra Živković – an organizer, Žarko Pekez – a director of photography, Aleksandar Đorđević - an assistant cameraman and a light board operator, Master Sergeant Ivica Stojić – drone operator, Jelena Ranković – a film editor, professor Boris Šuvlan - shooting, designer and sound mixing, Draško Janković – a composer.The family of the famous photographer was shown gratitude for the wholehearted help in shooting the film, primarily his grand daughter Zorana Vojnović, a historian and curator of the National Museum in Šabac, Branislav Stanković, author of the exhibition about Rista Marjanović held at the Central Military Club, Snežana Negovanović, and drama artist Bora Nanić, who evoked in his narration in the film the memory of Rista Marjanović.
The photographs by Rista Marjanovic are maybe best described by a sentence of their own author that “destiny sent him to the places where history was created” and that the greatest reward for his life and work is the criticism that his photographs “will make Serbia resurrect”.
Tonight's premiere was attended by numerous members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.
