Lifestyle

12 Jul 2020, 17:33 PM

July 12, 2020 - Although music fans are used to the eleven-day festival of classical music starting in the second week of July, the International Music Days Festival has been postponed to the autumn, the festival's organizing team and producer “Herceg Fest” announced.

The event’s Board, headed by President Milena Lučić and Artistic Director, pianist Boris Kraljević, made the timely proposal to the sponsors to move the festival from summer to autumn, given the epidemiological situation across the country, region and indeed world. The proposal was met with support from the representatives of the Municipality of Herceg Novi - the general sponsor of the festival - headed by Mayor Stevan Katić, as well as the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro, the announcement states.

The numerous faithful fans of the Herceg Novi Music Festival will be given further information on a new date, participants, and the programme of the festival as soon as it is available. A major part of the programming will be dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the birth of the great Ludwig Van Beethoven.

12 Jul 2020, 16:58 PM

July 12, 2020 - "I'll tell you a story" is the title of the exhibition of paintings by Hana Mirkov, which opened last weekend in the exhibition space of the Tivat Municipal Museum and Gallery.

"Hana's specific expression in her paintings is recognizable not only in this city or this country, but also abroad. Each of Hana's works is a separate illustration of an event, a legend, a specific part of the city, a tradition, a situation or a universal value. According to the motifs, like the scenography, that she places on the canvas, even those who do not know the legend, story or sights of a city, can get to know it through her paintings. Of course, Hana's ability to sensitively choose themes and motifs leaves a really positive impression on all those who view her work,” stated the Director of the Municipal Museum and Gallery Jelena Bošković, on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition.

She highlighted that the inspiration for 25 exhibited works in acrylic, pencil, and combined technique - pencil, ink and pen, came to Hana with the reading of the book "Antique Bassoon" in which well-known Tivat journalist and publicist Mašo Čekić draws together numerous stories and interesting legends from the history of the Bay of Kotor and the former way of life of its inhabitants.

“The story I told in these works is colourful, removed from the expected context, it makes us who we are and inspires our lives with new energy. This amazing book with wonderful stories strongly encouraged me to create because while reading, the pictures came to me on their own and I simply had to produce them as I did,” said the artist, Hana Mirkov.

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Photo - Hana Mirkov

 

Mirkov was born in Split in 1989. She finished art high school in Cetinje in 2008, from where she graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts. She continued her education at the Accademia di belle arti di Bari, Italy. She lives and works in Tivat. She has participated in numerous collective and solo exhibitions, both in the country and abroad, as well as dozens of artists’ colonies in Montenegro and Serbia. She has been a member of the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro since 2012.

10 Jul 2020, 16:35 PM

July 10, 2020 - Blue Flag coordinators in the Mediterranean region have gathered together during the Covid19 pandemic to raise environmental awareness. The Blue Flag, as with all programmes of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), leads to increased awareness among locals, local authorities, tourists and all users of beaches and marinas, so that they take a more active role.

Ten national Blue Flag operators have called on local communities, NGOs and the general public to join forces and contribute to Mediterranean Blue Flag Week, held in the second week of July. Due to the pandemic this year, no beach cleaning activities will be organized, but an educational campaign will be held on social networks - #BlueFlagMedWeek -, according to Saša Karajović, the national coordinator of Blue Flag Montenegro.

Join us under the slogan "Caring for the sea that unites us!" Every day during the week, we will be dealing with one of the important issues in the Mediterranean; posts shared on social networks should be tagged #BlueFlagMedWeek.

Daily topics:

6th July – Microplastics 

7th July – Cigarette Butts

8th July – Covid Waste 

9th July – Biodiversity 

10th July – Health and Safety 

11th July – Floating Debris 

12th July – Environmental Education 

The photos used in the campaign were provided by the national Blue Flag and Young Eco-Reporters operators from ten Mediterranean countries.

The photo for the topic of microplastics was taken by Marija Kazimirova (Knightsbridge School, Tivat), for which she won second prize at the Young Eco-Reporters of Montenegro Competition in 2019.

07 Jul 2020, 21:59 PM

July 7, 2020 - The start of the International Festival KotorArt Don Branko's Music Days is planned this year for Wednesday, 15th July, when the audience at Boka Cinema will have the opportunity to view a film production by the German media house Deutsche Welle. The documentary "Symphony for the World" is a unique production that speaks of the power and universality of the language of music and its strong messages that are understood the world over, regardless of cultural, religious, national, ideological, geographical and any other differences. Specifically, the documentary is about Beethoven's famous Ninth Symphony and its multiple meanings. The partner of this project is the Kotor Cultural Centre "Nikola Đurković".

“We have moved our traditional opening concert of the Festival to August, as for this event we are already accustomed to a large audience - we are acting responsibly given the current situation and we are respecting all NKT measures, as well as responding to all challenges swiftly and competently. We plan to be able to completely control all aspects of the organisation process of the concerts, and implement all the precautionary measures prescribed by the NCT. At a time when the whole world, including our society, is going through a period of uncertainty and insecurity in many aspects of life, we want to provide a piece of what many call “food for the soul,” and at least a little of the everyday joy that until recently was a part of our daily lives. We understand through experience that mental and spiritual health is as important as physical health, and art has always, as evidenced by many examples from the past, helped to overcome many difficult periods in the history of mankind. We hope that our events will provide local people with a slightly brighter, more humane and beautiful everyday life. We hope that we will be able to provide some comfort, some affirmation of the special threads that bind us together, threads that remain even when we are not allowed to hug because of distance measures, when we cannot recognize each other because of protective masks, or when we are in quarantine, keeping ourselves away from others. The art of music is one of those threads.” says a statement by the Festival’s PR service.

“The audience of KotorArt Don Branko's Music Days has become accustomed to receiving information about the programme for the forthcoming summer in March. This year, due to extraordinary circumstances, we ask our audience to follow the official website of the Festival, www.kotorart.me as well as social networks - Facebook and Instagram pages, where we will publish possible, or more likely probable, programme changes. There are several Festival teams that closely follow the recommendations of the NKT and adjust every aspect of the Festival to these.”

“The ceremonial opening programme of the Festival, planned for 14th July, has been moved to close this year's event. Considering that the evening is completely dedicated to Beethoven, we believe that it will be a beautiful and fitting way for the Festival to ensure a dignified celebration of his 250th birthday. On the occasion of this anniversary, as well as facing the challenges of life, and given the position and message of art in this unusual moment for the entire world, the festival is preparing additional activities and programme events that will soon be announced to the general public.” the Festival PR service added.

KotorArt Kotor Children's Theatre Festival has already begun in Kotor. All large-scale performances have been postponed until August, but the accompanying programmes and workshops with children from Kotor have been launched, to the great joy of the children, who are reacting superbly in new circumstances and are quickly adapting to their "new reality".

06 Jul 2020, 17:05 PM

July 6, 2020 - Mackerel is swimming 20 meters from the shore in Muo. Shoals of sardines surround the octopus relaxing in the shallows. Hundreds of kilos of mullet just waiting to be caught, while a beautiful sea turtle roams in Stoliv. Are these direct results of the coronavirus impact on the sea ecosystem, or is it a natural cycle conditioned by factors outside the influence of man?

It is still too early for scientists to give reliable answers, but commercial and leisure fishers alike agree - marine life has returned to the Bay of Kotor because there is space to return to. There have been no cruise ships for almost five months, yacht traffic is negligible, and our shores are not primarily parking lots for boats and yachts.
 
"Something is happening with the ecosystem. Reduced human activity has influenced the living world, not only of the Bay of Kotor but of the entire Adriatic, and it is now returning to activities unhindered by anthropogenic factors. So, wherever man is present, wherever human activity is current, there we have a shelter of the living world and an escape from our actions. This situation, and the peace that has lasted for months - no cruise ships, reduced activities of all vessels at sea, definitely benefit the fish populations and other living organisms in the bay. There is no noise, no artificial movements of water, no lifting of sludge from the bottom. So fish and other marine organisms can live peacefully and expand their habitat where, precisely because of these human activities, they could not exist before, "explains the Director of the Institute of Marine Biology in Kotor, ichthyologist Dr. Aleksandar Joksimović.
 
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Photo by Zdenka Janković
 
"The conversations I had with the fishermen were sporadic. Coastal fishermen who fish with a rod or from a single line onshore, say that for a long time they had not noticed even those species of fish that are characteristic of the shoal - catfish and other species that live by our shores, and in Mandraći in stone cavities. Now they are slowly returning. At the same time, there is information from commercial fishers that shoals of blue anchovies and sardines have appeared in the bay. We have now entered the spawning period of many species of fish, so it is evident that the young fish are coming to shallow waters. They are now using the littoral part of the Bay of Kotor as their habitat. Therefore, definitely - and based on our preliminary analysis and conversations with fishers - we can conclude that something has happened in the marine ecosystem. We do not know how long it will last, how long this situation will continue. But, based on this research, when we write a report we will be able to say something concrete about the situation. Of course we will need to process the data collected, and compare them with previous data and reports, and for this we will need a long series of data to be able to adequately and scientifically explain some changes and new situations. We will need to use data series from far back into the past, based on the cyclical changes and natural fluctuations in the ecosystem, and the so-called Adriatic ingressions that penetrate the Adriatic Sea every nine to 11 years. The East-Mediterranean saltier and warmer water penetrates our sea, bringing phytoplankton and other nutrients - which makes up a large proportion of the food for both small and large fish. Only based on the analysis of all these circumstances, will we be able to put together a complete picture and finally say whether something has happened and why," explains Joksimović.
 
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Photo by Zdenka Janković
 
However, we can already conclude from conversations with fishers and local people - the sea is clearer; there are more marine organisms along the coast. Does it mean that a short hiatus is enough for ecologically endangered areas to begin to recover from the effects of anthropogenic activities? The question is whether these observations, especially the detailed scientific analyses and the resulting recommendations of experts from the Institute of Marine Biology, can have a direct impact on decision-making when it comes to sustainable marine and coastal management. The Director of the Institute of Marine Biology, Aleksandar Joksimović, explains:
 
"Our scientific-research activity should lead to that goal - to give scientific recommendations, i.e., scientific opinions. Unfortunately, their further implementation does not depend on us. We are not an institution that can mandate follow-up on our own advice. Based on scientific data we provide, and our participation in working groups for Mediterranean fisheries, biodiversity protection and Adriatic protection, alongsite those for negotiations with the European Union - all bodies dealing with marine issues within the system should heed our recommendations as a postulate and incorporate them into plans and strategic documents emanating from Montenegro. Our opinions are not based on emotion or supposition; they are the result of many years of experience and scientific work and data exchanges that we have almost every day with similar institutions in the region. It is also the fruit of our participation in numerous international projects aimed at creating common platforms and recommendations for responsible relations and use of the Adriatic and the whole Mediterranean. All this is proof that our data is valid. Our reports have scientific weight and should be incorporated into documents to become a template for our future actions, in order to change our awareness of and attitude towards nature, here specifically towards the bay and our sea."
 
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Photo by Zdenka Janković
 
Unfortunately, we are witnessing a disregard of many scientific recommendations in the race for short-term economic interests, without realizing that the current treatment of marine and coastal ecosystems is unsustainable and leads to the destruction of these resources both ecologically and economically.
 
What we can do at the moment is enjoy the sea, which is much less polluted and muddy than in previous years. We can sample more delicious fish because it seems that there is indeed more there than in recent years, and even complete novices will be lucky if they try their hand at fishing.
 
"The fact is that some species of fish have returned to the bay and no one bothers them. No one prevents them from being closer to the shore in their life cycle. No noise, no sea turbulence, no excessive activity around them. I guess that makes for happy fishermen and good catches," concluded the Director of the Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro in Kotor, Dr. Aleksandar Joksimović.
30 Jun 2020, 23:21 PM
June 30, 2020 - The KotorArt Festival has this year also been sponsored by UNESCO, the festival's organizers announced. The festival is planned for the period from July 2 to September 13, with the rotation of different program segments:
 
- KotorArt Kotor Children's Theater Festival (July 2 - 10)
 
- KotorArt Don Branko's Music Days (July 14 - August 14)
 
- KotorArt Philosophers' Square- Pjaca Od Filozofa (August 11)
 
- KotorArt International Klapa Festival Perast (September 11-12)
 
"The festival is of special importance for the culture of Montenegro, being the one of the most prestigious festivals in the country and the region. It gathers numerous artists and audiences over two months in Kotor and Boka, and has received plaudits from prestigious international sources for several years," the organizers said in a statement. 
 
The main programs- Don Branko's Music Days, and the Kotor Children's Theater Festival are the holders of the European quality of the EFFE label festival. The segment dedicated to traditional singing- International Festival of Klapas Perast, has received a Wild Beauty Award from the National Tourist Organization.
 
"Apart from the extremely positive image it has on the European festivals map, and the small but highly professional team behind its realization- the main characteristic of the festival is the autonomy of its program units, decentralized administration, and an unusually high percentage of self-generated funds, especially in Montenegrin conditions. Even in these difficult times, individual segments of the festival, in addition to sponsors - UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture, and the Municipality of Kotor - are supported by numerous sponsors and partners," concludes the statement of KotorArt crew.
29 Jun 2020, 11:45 AM
June 29, 2020 - The exhibition Montenegrin Theater History and the promotion of a special issue of the magazine Pozorište, entirely dedicated to the centuries-old theatrical tradition of Kotor, will be held in the Atrium of the Cultural Center "Nikola Đurković" on Tuesday, June 30, starting at 11 am. The organizer is the Cultural Center "Nikola Đurković" Kotor with the support of the Municipality of Kotor.
 
Drama artists Tihana Ćulafić and Marija Sarap and the author of the exhibition and editor from the "Nikšić Cultural Scene" will talk about the importance of the exhibition, which consists of thirteen panels and the magazine Pozorište. The exhibition will be open until July 7. The program is also a part of the repertoire of the Nikšić Theater, held within the Nikšić Cultural Scene, the Cultural Center "Nikola Đurković" Kotor informs.
 
 The project "Montenegrin Theater History through the Centuries" is conceived as an exhibition, taking an illustrative-narrative character. The original documentary material collected by the method of selection, in modern graphic-design technique, was presented on 13 panels. Of that number, 12 boards, photographs, documents and accompanying text illustrate the development of dramatic art in the municipalities: Nikšić, Cetinje, Podgorica (history and production of two theaters: CNP and City Theater), Kotor, Budva, Bar, Tivat, Pljevlja, Bijelo Polje, Berane and Herceg Novi. The title - the 13th panel - is the central one, where the Montenegrin theatrical history is presented.
 
According to well-known Montenegrin theater theorist and academician Sreten Perović, the project "Montenegrin Theater History" is a valuable effort to give deserved recognition to the theater and to all institutions, societies and production groups that built and realize this kind of art."
 
"Such a project, in the context of the priorities of the development of Montenegrin culture, can truly be seen not only as unique but also as very important. This is all the more so due to the lack of cultural content that indicates trends in the development of theater art and production in Montenegro from early forms of stage expression to the contemporary theater at the local and national level," stated film and theater advisor at the Ministry of Culture Montenegro, Ilija Subotic.
 
For the literary historian and publicist Dragan B. Perović, the exhibition "represents a real little holiday and a cultural time machine."
 
"It is admirable with how much energy and knowledge the approach to the realization of this project has been carried out. We have the opportunity to see a rich heritage, tradition, continuity in one place in an important cultural and artistic area such as theater. Of course, for various reasons, there was a blow to continuity, professional life was disrupted, and attempts were made to mold it. But despite these efforts, the theater survived. After all, it is no coincidence that the performing arts have lasted from ancient times to the present. The creators of this exhibition managed to show us in the best way why this is so, sublimating and presenting strikingly the development phase of theatrical activity in all Montenegrin communities. From the cities from the Montenegrin coast, which inherited various influences, to those in the north, which managed to replace some limiting factors with their enthusiasm ", said Perović. He sees this project like a scrapbook, which includes all important actors in their places. By developing professional activities, they brought a touch of culture, regardless of whether they were professionals or amateurs. We received a lexicon of theatrical life and performing arts, where each theater house has its special stamp. Each of the panels is a gem in the exceptional mosaic of theatrical life in Montenegro, which, placed together like this, give a harmonious picture. Practically, we already have one diorama, which encompassed all epochs of the development of theatrical art in our country ", wrote Perović in the catalog of the exhibition. At the opening of the exhibition in Nikšić (May 7 last year), he expressed his belief that "this exhibition will help us break away from stereotypical representations of cultural activities only on the occasion of festive days." It is a document of a time, a history, a monument to duration. On the other hand, this is a gentle reminder to understand that investing in culture and theater is not a cost, but a real investment that pays off many times over. It returns through the education of theater audiences, through the development of a culture of critical thinking and primarily through the nurturing of a culture of remembrance and respect for traditional values ​​as a pledge for the future, "concluded Dragan B. Perović.
 
Montenegrin Theater History, Publishing Activity of the Nikšić Theater, was realized with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro. The exhibition's design is the work of academic painter Darko Music, and Ranko Radulović signed the graphic processing of manuscripts and photographs. Niksic firms also supported the exhibition's preparation: "Drvex" d.o.o. and Milić plus d.o.o.
 
Apart from the main theater, the exhibition has been held in Bijelo Polje, Pljevlja, Bar, and Tivat.
 
Source: Radio Kotor
28 Jun 2020, 15:42 PM

28 June, 2020 - The village of Suscepan, 1.5 km from the center of Herceg Novi, and at an altitude of 300 metres was, according to the architect Marin Đurašin (1954 - 2000), the centre of ancient Troy.

Đurašin’s theory (he also wrote a book on the subject, although his death prevented him from publishing it) was that the whole of Boka Kotorska was ancient Troy, and that Suscepan was its centre. Troy, or Elijah (ancient Greek: Τροία [Troía] or Τροίας [Troías], or Ίλιον [Ílion] or Ίλιος [Ílios]; Latin: Troia, or Ilium; Turkish: Truva or Troya), was a legendary city and the scene of Trojan war, which is partly depicted in Homer’s Iliad, an epic poem in ancient Greek composed in the 9th or 8th century BC.

This assumption did not have a greater impact, nor did it lead to greater tourist interest in the village, which offers a beautiful view of the entrance to and the interior of the Bay of Kotor.

The village of Suscepan was assumed inhabited in the Middle Ages and has been under Turkish, Venetian, Austro-Hungarian rule. It had, in the main, followed the fate of Herceg Novi, then that of the whole of Boka Kotorska and Montenegro.

Until World War II, the locals lived mainly from agriculture and livestock. Olive oil and wine were produced, grain was sown and vegetables were planted. Fruit was also grown - most often figs. A few inhabitants worked in nearby Herceg Novi - mostly in trade and tourism.

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Suscepan - Bostanj Spring

Today, no-one in the village is exclusively engaged in agriculture. Most often it is an additional activity or carried out solely to meet individual need.

Until the increased construction at the end of the last century, the village looked like a typical coastal Boka village. The houses were built at a distance of 500 - 700 metres, and the hamlets were connected by paths paved with stone. They were built on slopes and along the perimeter of rare arable land. Today, almost every house has a tarmac - or more often concrete - road.

The few inhabited old houses in the village are built of local stone. Upstairs is a living area for the family, and the ground floor-barn is used to accommodate wine, oil, grain, flour and other foodstuffs. In some houses on the ground floor there are cattle.

In front of the village houses is a part of the yard - terraces - paved with stone and surrounded by a low wall-seat. In some yards there was also a “bistjerna” for collecting rainwater. The terrace was covered with vines and served as a small extension of the house proper, for gathering after a hard day’s work. In the summer, sometimes a table was brought out, so people could eat on the terrace.

The garden also has a threshing floor - a round paved surface covered with stone slabs. This was used for threshing grain.

The village does not have an official centre, but the population used to gather around the Bostanj spring. The spring is channelled, the area around it paved and has a stone wall-seat. In addition to this spring, there is also a spring in Smokovac and Zirina.

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Saint Stephen’s Church

 During religious festivals, locals gather around the village church of Saint Stephen. The church was built at the end of the 19th century, but it is assumed that there had been a building there previously. The church is a single-nave, vaulted building with an apse of a semicircular base and a bell tower on a pediment with three bell windows. It is built of stone, but all the walls, except at the front, are plastered. According to the motifs from the preserved parapet slab, which is today in a museum, it is assumed that there was a pre-Romanesque church on the site, dating from the 10th or 11th century.

 The Church of Saint Stephen

The iconostasis is the work of Corfu icon painter N. Aspioti. Around the church is a gate with tombs. It is thought by some that the church was built by the Bosnian king Tvrtko (founder of Herceg Novi) or Stevan Kosača.

The Legend of the Village's Origin

Legend has it that the Bosnian King Tvrtko I began the construction of the church of St. Stephen in the centre of Herceg Novi, inviting the most famous masters of that time from Kotor and Dubrovnik. But one morning, the stone disappeared from the square and appeared about 1.5 kilometers from the city - in its current location. The king was advised to build a church there, which he did. According to the legend, the settlement that started to grow around the church was named Sveti Stefan (Saint Stephen) - later Suscepan.

Each to Their "Own" Troy

German entrepreneur and amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann began excavations on the hill of Hisarlich in today's northwestern Turkey, near the sea coast, southwest of the Dardanelles under Mount Ida in 1873 and claimed that this was the location of ancient Troy.

Researcher Ilija Ogorelica claims that ancient Troy was located near Belgrade, more precisely on the border of the settlements of Rušanj, Ripanj and Lipovačke šume. Milutin Jaćimović claims that Troy is "the Serbian historical capital of Skadar".

Mexican Roberto Salinas Price (1936 - 2012), philologist and wealthy Mexican passionate homerologist, first put forward the idea in the 1980s that Troy was on the east coast of the Adriatic and that the Trojan War had taken place in the Neretva Valley, and that the holy the city of Troy was on the site of present-day Gabela.

There are also theories that Troy was located at Ljubuški in Croatia, and also in Macedonia,… but with no scientific evidence supporting the claims.

/S.Kosić/

27 Jun 2020, 23:36 PM
June 27, 2020 - UNESCO has recognized Forte Mare fortress as a potentially significant cultural and historical monument. At the same time, the Ministry of Culture thinks that the process of its registration on the list of protected cultural goods will be positive.
 
Ms. Milica Nikolić from the Ministry of Culture says that it is necessary to finish conservatory works that are underway to eliminate traces of inappropriate use of the fortress in the past.
She thinks it is necessary to prepare a suitable file, which is to be considered by UNESCO in the forthcoming period.
 
"The deadline for the delivery of the file is 31 January 2021. The assessment itself takes a year and a half. We expect registration," Ms. Nikolić explained.
 
Director of Herceg Fest, institution managing fortresses, Ms. Gordana Porobić-Krcunović, shares optimism.
 
"That means a lot for Herceg Fest. Registration of Herceg Novi on UNESCO list will position the town in such a way that it becomes a recognizable town with valuable and important cultural heritage", Ms. Porobić-Krcunović said.
 
The Municipality of Herceg Novi has proposed Forte Mare fortress to be registered on the world cultural heritage list.
 
Forte Mare Damaged in the earthquake in 1979
Forte Mare fortress was built between the 14th and 17th centuries. It was restored in 1833. In 1952, it was adapted into summer cinema, and then in the night club.
 
Famous architect from Belgrade, Mr. Aleksandar Deroko, wrote about the architectural importance of Forte Mare and noted that architectural assembly of the fortress was a unique example of such construction continuity since Bosnian rule in the 14th and 15th century.
 
After the devastating earthquake in 1979, when the fortress suffered substantial damage due to the unprofessionally performed restoration, the fortress's first Bosnian phase was utterly lost. What is left of it today is only the wall in the south-east part corner and high staircase.
 
 
25 Jun 2020, 23:15 PM

Montenegro's potential as a location also presented at the Film Festival

The "Otter" project directed by Srđan Vuletić and screenwriter Stefan Bošković will be showcased at the "Co-Production Speed Meeting Session" 

June 25, 2020 - At this year's Cannes Film Festival, the Montenegro Film Centre will, for the fourth time, present contemporary Montenegrin cinematography within the virtual pavilion, which is part of the online version of the film market "Marché du Film", offered in a different format due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Montenegrin project "Otter" (working title: "Valley of Monuments"), from director Srđan Vuletić and screenwriter Stefan Bošković, and produced by Artikulacija Film from Podgorica, will be presented at the "Co-Production Speed Meeting Session", which will be held for the first time within an online edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

Young director Sara Stijović will be presenting her project "Djina" about Djordjina ‘Djina’ Markuš, with concept and screenplay by Nataša Nelević, and produced by Branimir Žugić and the company "LIVE production", which was selected for the programme "La Fabrique Cinéma de l'Institut Français" within the Film Festival in Cannes. The feature-length documentary "Djina" is the first Montenegrin and the only European project selected this year for La Fabrique Cinéma.

"The virtual environment, running from June 22 to 26, brings together more than 8,500 participants, with 250 stands and 60 pavilions. In order to support the film industry globally, as well as its professionals, the online version of the ‘Marché du Film’ will offer more than 1,200 online screenings for participants, as well as the opportunity to purchase rights to more than 2,300 feature films. More than 150 virtual panel discussions, talks and round tables, concerts and presentations are planned.

At online meetings with film professionals and representatives of institutions from all over the world, the Montenegrin virtual stand offers accredited visitors access to an overview of film projects from the country, which are in various stages of production. Capacities and possibilities of interest to foreign co-producers, production companies and other interested parties will be promoted," the Film Centre highlights. Montenegro has been present at the Cannes Film Market since 2011.

 

Location potential also presented

This year, for the purposes of promotion, the Montenegro Film Centre enabled accredited market participants to download the electronic version of two catalogues: "Montenegro - Film Destination", which shows the potential for filming in Montenegro, and "Montenegrin Cinema 2020", which presents current film projects at different stages of production.

During the festival, the Montenegrin Media Desk (Creative Europe) will also be active, with representatives participating in panel discussions and online meetings.

24 Jun 2020, 18:17 PM
June 24, 2020 - The nineteenth KotorArt Don Branko Music Days are being held in all known extraordinary circumstances caused by the pandemic, what caused more than 95% of programs and artists, initially planned for 2020, to be canceled or changed.
 
This program included the celebration of Beethoven's significant anniversary with artists and ensembles such as Miša Majski, soloists of the Verbia Festival, soloists of the Berlin Philharmonic, Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, Stefan Milenković, Kemal Gekić, Giovanni Gnocchi, cycles of Jazz Square with ensembles from Slovenia, Hungary, Austria; China stage, with five concerts by renowned musicians from China; Piano marathon in Luštica Bay and Kotor with winners of piano competitions and prominent pianists of the region and Europe; three shows of the Festival Orchestra, Coca-Cola Stage with three concerts: Josipa Lisac, Vasil Hadžimanov, Božo Vrećo, Bojan Zulfikarpašić and the group Frajle; over two hundred performances within the cycle of the Port of Art.
 
Total program change, a drastic budget reduction of over 70% (of which 60% is a reduction from the sponsors - the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Kotor), and cancellations of sponsorship funds for more than a third prevent KotorArt from offering the best. After all, KotorArt has faced extraordinary circumstances in the past, when it has always reacted readily and professionally, with a great desire to maintain its quality and image in the country, but also the region and Europe, "said the Festival's PR service.
 
KOTORART ANNOUNCEMENT
 
Recognized for years as a gathering place for the world's music elite and specially conceived original programs, despite this multiple budget cuts, with the support of patrons, sponsors, and friends, as well as the understanding and solidarity of artists and the organizing team, KotorArt Don Branko's Music Days will be held from July 14 to August 14 through a relevant program to confirm social responsibility, artistic and tourist attractiveness, thematic relevance and reasons for the status of the event of special importance for the culture of Montenegro, as well as its place on the festival map of the region and Europe.
 
After an incredibly busy spring on social networks, the Festival will organize events at a total of ten locations in more moderate summer dynamics, through a dedication to Beethoven, instead of the usual twenty. At the same time, most programs will be held in the Church of St. Spirit, with a live broadcast on the neighboring Piazza from the cinema. Over a hundred artists from a total of six countries will perform in front of an audience that will be distributed in sparse audiences.
 
"At the very beginning, on July 14, in front of the Cathedral of St. Tryphon, as part of the celebration of Statehood Day, the Beethoven program, eternal inspiration, is planned. Having in mind the measures and recommendations of the competent services and the desire to present the most promising domestic musicians, the Montenegrin Youth Orchestra will perform at the opening ceremony, led by the conductor of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Tomislav Facini. The program includes some of Beethoven's most dramatic works prepared for this orchestra and the premiere of the commissioned work on the Ode to Joy by Montenegrin author Aleksandar Perunovic, after which the premiere of a documentary on European heritage and identity of Montenegro produced by RTCG is planned. 
 
In addition to celebrating Statehood Day, opening the Festival, celebrating Beethoven's anniversary, and artistically marking Germany's presidency of the European Union, this event will also be an occasion to rethink the European identity of today's Montenegro, share and understand the values ​​inherited by the European Union. - Go for joy ", they say from the PR service of the Festival.
 
After this program, several different program units are planned, which will include performances by renowned international artists, including maestro Tomislav Facini, one of the most famous European coloratura sopranos Erik Miklos from Hungary, famous jazz ensembles from Austria, world-renowned pianist Kemal Gekic with Beethoven sonatas, members of the KotorArt trio, as well as participants in the planned regional conference Festivals in Times of Crisis.
 
"The celebrated Montenegrin guitarist Miloš Karadaglić will have a special evening, who will talk to the audience about various aspects of the global crisis on classical music and the consequences for artists and art in general, along with his interlocutor Ratimir Martinović, the director of the Festival. In addition to the Montenegrin Youth Orchestra, Montenegrin musical forces will be represented through performances by well-known local and internationally renowned artists such as the Montenegrin Guitar Duo and the Allegria Quartet and a trio of professors from the Cetinje Music Academy. Also, through the established segment of KotorArt Talents, promising Montenegrin musicians studying abroad, soprano Petra Radulović and pianist Andrija Jovović will perform, and students of the Music Academy of Cetinje, as well as the youngest - students of the Music School Vida Matjan in Kotor, will have the opportunity to perform. Local performers will be the backbone of the concert entitled Homage to the Professor, dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the death of Nikola Gregović, who left an essential mark in the city's music. In addition to the city choir and mandolin orchestra, original Klapas led by the Professor will perform. The sounds of jazz can be heard through the series Jazz Square in the regular Sunday period through four concerts, two Austrian guest bands, and musicians from Montenegro and Serbia.
 
The Port of Art cycle will be presented through dozens of performances by chamber ensembles of classical and popular music, inspiring the life and musical content of today's unusually empty Kotor squares.
 
In collaboration with Deutsche Welle, the Festival provided a screening of the valuable feature-length documentary Symphony of the World, which tells the story of Beethoven's latest symphony.
 
The KotorArt Academy, conceived initially with three artists, is still planned to be held at the beginning of August, through the piano course of pianist Kemal Gekić.
 
Beside Miloš Karadaglić and the aforementioned conference on Festivals in times of crisis, which will be addressed by artists and directors of renowned festivals from Montenegro and the region, planned for August 4, reflections on important social topics will be the backbone of for August 11, with the editor Paula Petričević. This year's topic is "European identity - the answer to which question?" on which the relevant speakers will participate.
 
The Wild Beauty Art Festival is taking place this year, organized by the KotorArt team, with planned concerts in Žabljak, Kotor, and Luštica bay.
 
This year's KotorArt Don Branko's Music Days will be held under UNESCO's auspices, the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Kotor, and sponsors.
 
Source: kotorart.me
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