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Jay Weissberg of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave the film a negative review. Weissberg questions the producers' motives and writes that the film contains "undisguised [[Anti-Croat sentiment|anti-Croatian]] and [[Anti-Catholicism|anti-Catholic]] elements" which are "designed as incendiary fodder" for current conflicts, and that it lacks any serious examination of the dangers of [[nationalism]], [[racism]] and [[genocide]] which are instead replaced with "cheap sensation and sentiment".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weissberg |first=Jay |date=2021-01-25 |title=‘Dara of Jasenovac’ Review: A Holocaust Movie With Questionable Intentions |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/dara-of-jasenovac-film-review-dara-iz-jasenovca-1234890745/|url-status=live |website=Variety}}</ref> Film director Antonijević responded to Weissberg's critique, dubbing it as a political "pamphlet" rather than a movie review as it contained "only two or three sentences about the film itself".<ref>{{Cite web|title=OVAJ FILM SMO KRVLjU PLATILI: Predrag Antonijević o optužbama kritičara "Varajetija" da je "Dara" nacionalistički pamflet|url=https://www.novosti.rs/kultura/vesti/959020/ovaj-film-smo-krvlju-platili-predrag-antonijevic-optuzbama-kriticara-varajetija-dara-nacionalisticki-pamflet|access-date=2021-01-29|website=NOVOSTI|language=sr}}</ref> [[Ministry of Culture and Information (Serbia)|Serbian Minister of Culture and Information]] [[Maja Gojković]] alluded that the negative reviews were lobbied by Croatia.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2020-02-04|title=TEŠKE OPTUŽBE MAJE GOJKOVIĆ: Hrvatska naručila negativne kritike protiv filma 'Dara iz Jasenovca'?!|url=https://www.slobodna-bosna.ba/vijest/187068/teske_optuzbe_maje_gojkovic_hrvatska_naruchila_negativne_kritike_protiv_filma_dara_iz_jasenovca.html|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-02-04|website=Slobodna Bosna|language=bs-BA}}</ref> Representatives of the film's distributor, MegaCom Film, stated that Weissberg had never previously reviewed any Serbian film, and that his review amounted to a relativization and trivialization of genocide.<ref>{{Cite web|title=NOVE KRITIKE AMERIČKIH MEDIJA O FILMU “DARA IZ JASENOVCA“ {{!}} MCF|url=http://mcf.rs/novosti/nove-kritike-ameri%C4%8Dkih-medija-o-filmu-dara-iz-jasenovca|access-date=2021-02-04|website=mcf.rs}}</ref> Executive producer [[Michael Berenbaum]] disputed Weissberg's "anti-Croatian and anti-Catholic" charges as "nonsense", stressing the film's factual adherence to camp testimonials and that if someone thinks the story is political, "that's [them] bringing it to the story". Meanwhile, Weissberg—who is [[American Jews|Jewish]] himself—revealed that he received online [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] abuse in a campaign directed at him by [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Serbia)|Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs]] [[Aleksandar Vulin]]. Highlighting Vulin's close relationship with the [[Mirjana Marković|widow]] of [[Slobodan Milošević]], Weissberg stated, "This is a man who has certainly condoned [[Bosnian genocide|a genocide]] who is turning around and calling me a [[Holocaust denial|Holocaust denier]]".<ref name=Grisar>{{cite web|last=Grisar|first=PJ|url=https://forward.com/culture/463544/dara-of-jasenovac-serbian-oscar-controversy-genocide-holocaust-croatia/|title=Is Serbia using a Holocaust film as nationalist propaganda?|website=The Forward|date=5 February 2021|accessdate=8 February 2021}}</ref>
Jay Weissberg of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave the film a negative review. Weissberg questions the producers' motives and writes that the film contains "undisguised [[Anti-Croat sentiment|anti-Croatian]] and [[Anti-Catholicism|anti-Catholic]] elements" which are "designed as incendiary fodder" for current conflicts, and that it lacks any serious examination of the dangers of [[nationalism]], [[racism]] and [[genocide]] which are instead replaced with "cheap sensation and sentiment".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weissberg |first=Jay |date=2021-01-25 |title=‘Dara of Jasenovac’ Review: A Holocaust Movie With Questionable Intentions |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/dara-of-jasenovac-film-review-dara-iz-jasenovca-1234890745/|url-status=live |website=Variety}}</ref> Film director Antonijević responded to Weissberg's critique, dubbing it as a political "pamphlet" rather than a movie review as it contained "only two or three sentences about the film itself".<ref>{{Cite web|title=OVAJ FILM SMO KRVLjU PLATILI: Predrag Antonijević o optužbama kritičara "Varajetija" da je "Dara" nacionalistički pamflet|url=https://www.novosti.rs/kultura/vesti/959020/ovaj-film-smo-krvlju-platili-predrag-antonijevic-optuzbama-kriticara-varajetija-dara-nacionalisticki-pamflet|access-date=2021-01-29|website=NOVOSTI|language=sr}}</ref> [[Ministry of Culture and Information (Serbia)|Serbian Minister of Culture and Information]] [[Maja Gojković]] alluded that the negative reviews were lobbied by Croatia.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2020-02-04|title=TEŠKE OPTUŽBE MAJE GOJKOVIĆ: Hrvatska naručila negativne kritike protiv filma 'Dara iz Jasenovca'?!|url=https://www.slobodna-bosna.ba/vijest/187068/teske_optuzbe_maje_gojkovic_hrvatska_naruchila_negativne_kritike_protiv_filma_dara_iz_jasenovca.html|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-02-04|website=Slobodna Bosna|language=bs-BA}}</ref> Representatives of the film's distributor, MegaCom Film, stated that Weissberg had never previously reviewed any Serbian film, and that his review amounted to a relativization and trivialization of genocide.<ref>{{Cite web|title=NOVE KRITIKE AMERIČKIH MEDIJA O FILMU “DARA IZ JASENOVCA“ {{!}} MCF|url=http://mcf.rs/novosti/nove-kritike-ameri%C4%8Dkih-medija-o-filmu-dara-iz-jasenovca|access-date=2021-02-04|website=mcf.rs}}</ref> Executive producer [[Michael Berenbaum]] disputed Weissberg's "anti-Croatian and anti-Catholic" charges as "nonsense", stressing the film's factual adherence to camp testimonials and that if someone thinks the story is political, "that's [them] bringing it to the story". Meanwhile, Weissberg—who is [[American Jews|Jewish]] himself—revealed that he received online [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] abuse in a campaign directed at him by [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Serbia)|Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs]] [[Aleksandar Vulin]]. Highlighting Vulin's close relationship with the [[Mirjana Marković|widow]] of [[Slobodan Milošević]], Weissberg stated, "This is a man who has certainly condoned [[Bosnian genocide|a genocide]] who is turning around and calling me a [[Holocaust denial|Holocaust denier]]".<ref name=Grisar>{{cite web|last=Grisar|first=PJ|url=https://forward.com/culture/463544/dara-of-jasenovac-serbian-oscar-controversy-genocide-holocaust-croatia/|title=Is Serbia using a Holocaust film as nationalist propaganda?|website=The Forward|date=5 February 2021|accessdate=8 February 2021}}</ref>

Serbian filmmaker Stefan Ivančić criticized the involvement of politics in the film, stating that the Serbian Minister of the Interior defending a film from a film review signifies that "something isn’t right", and that "that’s the final proof there’s a propagandistic agenda behind it."<ref name="Grisar"/>


Writing for ''[[Film Threat]]'', Ray Lobo reviewed the film positively, noting that it is "a unique World War II story worth watching" and serves as a "World War II education" as well as an "education in the [[Yugoslav Wars|Balkan conflicts of the last decade of the twentieth century]]". Lobo praises the film's production quality and lighting as well as the cast for effectively conveying "both the degradation of camp life and the will to live".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lobo |first1=Ray |title=Dara of Jasenovac |url=https://filmthreat.com/reviews/dara-of-jasenovac/ |website=filmthreat.com |date=27 January 2021}}</ref>
Writing for ''[[Film Threat]]'', Ray Lobo reviewed the film positively, noting that it is "a unique World War II story worth watching" and serves as a "World War II education" as well as an "education in the [[Yugoslav Wars|Balkan conflicts of the last decade of the twentieth century]]". Lobo praises the film's production quality and lighting as well as the cast for effectively conveying "both the degradation of camp life and the will to live".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lobo |first1=Ray |title=Dara of Jasenovac |url=https://filmthreat.com/reviews/dara-of-jasenovac/ |website=filmthreat.com |date=27 January 2021}}</ref>

Revision as of 01:27, 17 February 2021

Dara of Jasenovac
Official movie poster
Directed byPredrag Antonijević
Written byNataša Drakulić
Produced byPredrag Antonijević
Maksa Ćatović
Petar Vukašinović
StarringBiljana Čekić
Vuk Kostić
Marko Janketić
CinematographyMiloš Kodemo
Edited byFilip Dedić
Music byRoman Goršek
Aleksandra Kovač
Production
companies
Dandelion Production Inc
Film Danas
Komuna
Cineplanet
Distributed byMegaCom Film[1]
101 Studios (US)[2]
Release dates
  • 5 February 2021 (2021-02-05) (United States)
  • 22 April 2021 (2021-04-22) (Serbia)
Running time
130 minutes
CountrySerbia
LanguagesSerbian
Croatian
Budget$3,6 million
Box office$34,941[3][4]

Dara of Jasenovac (Serbian: Дара из Јасеновца, romanizedDara iz Jasenovca) is a 2021 Serbian historical drama film directed by Predrag Antonijević. Based on the testimonies of survivors,[5] it deals with war crimes and atrocities that took place at Jasenovac concentration and extermination camp during the World War II.[6]

The film was set to premiere in early 2020,[7] commemorating 75 years since the escape of the remaining prisoners from the camp. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the premiere was postponed to 22 October 2020.[8][9] The premiere was in late 2020 postponed again to a mid-2021 release due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was selected as the Serbian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[10] Dara of Jasenovac has been submitted for consideration for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, while young actress Biljana Čekić was submitted for consideration for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.[11] It is the first Serbian production on the subject of the Jasenovac camp.

The film was met with mixed reviews from international critics. Positive reviews praised the film for dealing with a lesser-known episode of the World War II, that gets little to no coverage from international public, while negative reviews pointed out its role in Serbian government's nationalist propaganda.

Plot

After the Axis-led Kozara Offensive, the majority of the local Serb population ends up in Ustaše and Nazi German concentration camps in the Independent State of Croatia.[5]

With no information about the whereabouts of her father, twelve-year-old Dara, her mother and two brothers are transported to the Jasenovac concentration camp by train.[5]

Dara is separated from her family and sent to a special camp for children along with her two-year-old brother Budo. Her mother and older brother are killed by the Ustaše. Dara makes it her personal mission and goal to insure the survival of her younger brother.

In an undisclosed location nearby, Dara's father Mile is tasked with removing and disposing of dead bodies. He is devastated when he discovers his own wife and son are among the dead. He also hears rumors that Dara is still alive somewhere in the Jasenovac complex.

Dara observes the cruelty of the officers in the camp and is shocked by the violence. One night the guards devise a game of musical chairs as entertainment for visiting German Nazi officers. The loser of each round is sliced open or bludgeoned by a hammer. With the help of a Jewish prisoner, Blankica, Dara plots a path to escape.

Cast

Production

An old brickyard located in the village of Kolut near Sombor was reconstructed and turned into a camp by production designer Goran Joksimović. The second part of the movie was shot in Bela Crkva.[12]

Children from Kozarska Dubica were chosen to portray numerous children who were imprisoned in the camp. Scenes with the children were shot in sequence in order to mask the growth of children over the three months of shooting and those young actors would better understand the material.[13] A psychologist was kept on the set.[13]

A number of actors from Republika Srpska took part in the project,[14] joined by their colleagues from Serbia.

Dara in Jasenovac was supported by Ministry of Culture and Information and Film Center Serbia.[15]

American scholar Michael Berenbaum served as history consultant and executive producer.[16][17]

The Serbian premiere took place in Gračanica and the movie was screened for seven days.[18]

101 Studios secured the U.S. rights for the film and released it in limited theatres on 5 February 2021.[17][19]

While several movies were filmed during the existence of Yugoslavia, this is the first movie in Serbian production on the subject of the Jasenovac concentration camp.[20]

Reaction

Part of the Croatian media complained about the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC)'s lack of investment in historical films, in contrast to Film Center Serbia (FCS), and blamed them because a film that "depicts Croats as bad", since Vjekoslav Luburić is one of its main characters, was going to be distributed worldwide. They, however, praised Antonijević and Drakulić, calling them "a quality director and a quality screenwriter", as well as the film production.[21]

Due to coordinated rating on IMDb, either with the highest or the lowest number of stars, IMDb temporarily disabled the rating option for the film in February 2021.[22]

Critical reception

The film was met with mixed reviews from international media. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 67% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10.[23] Rating on IMDb was discontinued after coordinated efforts by users with conflicting views to change the film's rating.[24]

Jay Weissberg of Variety gave the film a negative review. Weissberg questions the producers' motives and writes that the film contains "undisguised anti-Croatian and anti-Catholic elements" which are "designed as incendiary fodder" for current conflicts, and that it lacks any serious examination of the dangers of nationalism, racism and genocide which are instead replaced with "cheap sensation and sentiment".[25] Film director Antonijević responded to Weissberg's critique, dubbing it as a political "pamphlet" rather than a movie review as it contained "only two or three sentences about the film itself".[26] Serbian Minister of Culture and Information Maja Gojković alluded that the negative reviews were lobbied by Croatia.[27] Representatives of the film's distributor, MegaCom Film, stated that Weissberg had never previously reviewed any Serbian film, and that his review amounted to a relativization and trivialization of genocide.[28] Executive producer Michael Berenbaum disputed Weissberg's "anti-Croatian and anti-Catholic" charges as "nonsense", stressing the film's factual adherence to camp testimonials and that if someone thinks the story is political, "that's [them] bringing it to the story". Meanwhile, Weissberg—who is Jewish himself—revealed that he received online antisemitic abuse in a campaign directed at him by Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandar Vulin. Highlighting Vulin's close relationship with the widow of Slobodan Milošević, Weissberg stated, "This is a man who has certainly condoned a genocide who is turning around and calling me a Holocaust denier".[29]

Writing for Film Threat, Ray Lobo reviewed the film positively, noting that it is "a unique World War II story worth watching" and serves as a "World War II education" as well as an "education in the Balkan conflicts of the last decade of the twentieth century". Lobo praises the film's production quality and lighting as well as the cast for effectively conveying "both the degradation of camp life and the will to live".[30]

In The Jewish Chronicle, Linda Marric rated the film two stars out of five, stating that the film "often feels needlessly gratuitous... as though the film takes pleasure in depicting these atrocities in every lurid detail". She states that "the film often descends into nationalistic and anti-Croat fervour", but praised the film's technical quality and the "beautifully understated performance" of actress Biljana Čekić.[31]

In his review, Robert Abele of Los Angeles Times echoed some of Weissberg's sentiments, calling the film "nativist and manipulative", remarking that "it smacks of scoring points in a longstanding regional feud". Abele went on to state that, "when there's a scene in which the visiting Nazi bristles at the display of one-on-one sadism toward Serbian prisoners from his crisply uniformed Croatian hosts (which include incestuous brother and sister officers), you know you're in agenda territory." He criticised Antonijević's "use of a fantasy element for every death" as "off-putting", but complimented the performances of the actors who portrayed the brutalized prisoners.[32] Antonijević told the Nova.rs internet portal that he intended to sue over this review, on the grounds that it denied the genocide of Serbs during World War II.[24]

Cynthia Vinney of Comic Book Resources described Dara of Jasenovac as one of the Holocaust films that "exist for cynical reasons." She went on to describe the film's depiction of violence as comical and straining credulity, as well as that it has a "sickening effect of making the Nazis momentarily sympathetic." She concluded that the film signals an agenda born out of current animosities between Serbia and Croatia, and that it is a "tragic story with no nuance or insight beyond the horror."[33]

Historian Rory Yeomans commented some of the accusations and criticism made about the film being anti-Catholic, nationalisitic and anti-Croatian. He argues that the film isn’t anti-Croat propaganda although some elements of the film were fictionalized, the portrayal of guards is "sometimes-cartoonish in contrast to the sometimes-cartoonish portrayal of camp staff, the film movingly explores the tawdry and complex moral compromises that concentration camp inmates are forced to make." He claims that anti-Catholic bias could be argued and praises the performances of the actors. [34]

Anna Smith of Deadline Hollywood commented that it is hard not to be struck by the horror on display, despite some heavy-handed moments.[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ "PREMIJERA FILMA "DARA IZ JASENOVCA" PLANIRANA ZA 22. OKTOBAR | MCF". mcf.rs. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  2. ^ Dostanić, Dafina. ""Realnost logoraša je bila JOŠ JEZIVIJA": Nataša Drakulić o filmu "Dara iz Jasenovca"". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  3. ^ "Dara of Jasenovac (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  4. ^ "Dara of Jasenovac (2021)". The Numbers. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Serbia, RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of. "Premijera filma "Dara iz Jasenovca" planirana za 22. oktobar". www.rts.rs. Retrieved 2020-05-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Dusanic, Dragana (2019-11-01). "SNIMA SE: "Dara iz Jasenovca" u režiji Predraga Gage Antonijevića". Antrfile (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  7. ^ Serbia, RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of. "Premijera filma "Dara iz Jasenovca" planirana za 22. oktobar". www.rts.rs. Retrieved 2020-05-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Istorijska drama „Dara iz Jasenovca" premijerno 22. oktobra 2020. godine «  FCS". www.fcs.rs. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  9. ^ "Премијера филма "Дара из Јасеновца" планирана за 22. октобар". Дневник (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  10. ^ "'Dara from Jasenovac' Serbia's candidate for Oscar's best international film". N1. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Film „Dara iz Jasenovca" kandidovan i za Zlatni globus". danas.rs (in Serbian). 1 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Potresne scene stradanja srpske dece u logoru smrti u doba NDH: Film "Dara iz Jasenovca" stiže na proleće". www.novosti.rs (in Serbian (Latin script)). Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  13. ^ a b "Serbia—Dara of Jasenovac". Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  14. ^ "Premijera filma "Dara iz Jasenovca" planirana za 22. oktobar". Fajteri (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  15. ^ "Istorijska drama „Dara iz Jasenovca" premijerno 22. oktobra 2020. godine « FCS". www.fcs.rs. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  16. ^ "O filmu "Dara iz Jasenovca": Samo ustaše imale logore smrti za srpsku decu". NOVOSTI (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-12-05.
  17. ^ a b Fleming Jr., Mike (21 December 2020). "'Dara Of Jasenovac' Named Serbia's Official Oscar Entry As 101 Studios Makes U.S. Rights Deal". deadline.com.
  18. ^ "PREMIJERA FILMA "DARA IZ JASENOVCA": Sećanje na jasenovačko stradanje gledaju i Srbi na KiM". NOVOSTI (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-12-05.
  19. ^ Welk, Brian (18 January 2021). "'Dara of Jasenovac' Trailer Shows Horrors at Croatian Concentration Camp Through Young Girl's Eyes". thewrap.com.
  20. ^ Serbia, RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of. "Зашто до сада није снимљен играни филм о страдању Срба у Јасеновцу". www.rts.rs. Retrieved 2021-02-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "ZAKUKALI ZBOG "DARE IZ JASENOVCA": Hrvatski mediji zapomažu jer Zagreb ne ulaže ništa, dok Srbija podržava domaću kinematografiju". NOVOSTI (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-12-05.
  22. ^ Serbia, RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of. "IMDB ukinuo ocenjivanje „Dare iz Jasenovca"". www.rts.rs. Retrieved 2021-02-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "Dara of Jasenovac (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  24. ^ a b "Serbian Director Threatens US Lawsuit over WWII Film Review". Balkan Insight. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  25. ^ Weissberg, Jay (2021-01-25). "'Dara of Jasenovac' Review: A Holocaust Movie With Questionable Intentions". Variety.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ "OVAJ FILM SMO KRVLjU PLATILI: Predrag Antonijević o optužbama kritičara "Varajetija" da je "Dara" nacionalistički pamflet". NOVOSTI (in Serbian). Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  27. ^ "TEŠKE OPTUŽBE MAJE GOJKOVIĆ: Hrvatska naručila negativne kritike protiv filma 'Dara iz Jasenovca'?!". Slobodna Bosna (in Bosnian). 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2021-02-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ "NOVE KRITIKE AMERIČKIH MEDIJA O FILMU "DARA IZ JASENOVCA" | MCF". mcf.rs. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  29. ^ Grisar, PJ (5 February 2021). "Is Serbia using a Holocaust film as nationalist propaganda?". The Forward. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  30. ^ Lobo, Ray (27 January 2021). "Dara of Jasenovac". filmthreat.com.
  31. ^ Marric, Linda (4 February 2021). "Film review: Dara of Jasenovac This Serbian film feels misjudged and gratuitous says Linda Marric". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  32. ^ Abele, Robert (4 February 2021). "Review: Holocaust drama 'Dara of Jasenovac' regrettably aims for settling scores". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  33. ^ Vinney, Cynthia (4 February 2021). "REVIEW: Holocaust Drama Dara of Jasenovac Offers Terrible Tragedy But Little Insight". CBR. Retrieved 8 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. ^ "Controversial Serbian Holocaust Film Isn't Anti-Croat Propaganda". Balkan Insight. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  35. ^ Smith, Anna; Smith, Anna (2021-02-09). "Int'l Critics Line: Anna Smith On Serbia's Oscar Entry 'Dara Of Jasenovac'". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-02-10.

External links