Film VUKOVAR – a symbol of Croatian sacrifice and pride

Historie

After the successful production of the film 260 DAYS, which has so far been seen by more than 80,000 viewers in Croatia, and whose international distribution is set to begin in the second half of this year, the idea was born to produce a trilogy of films about the Homeland War at the highest, Hollywood-level production standard. It is realistic to expect that by the end of the year the film will have been seen by more than 100,000 viewers in Croatia, and that over the next two years it will be distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide. This clearly shows that, 35 years after the beginning of the Homeland War, there is a genuine need for films that will speak to the world in a relevant and powerful way about its most important period — the time in which the modern Croatian state was created.

An unexpectedly major obstacle in the production of the first film was the complete lack of interest from the Ministry of Culture and the institutions responsible for film in our country. The fact that the production of 260 DAYS was not supported with even a single euro speaks for itself. Unfortunately, the situation was no better when it came to the film’s distribution. HRT did not show serious interest, while the only national distributor took a position that was entirely unacceptable to the producers, who had created a film project valued at more than 7 million euros. For that reason, 260 DAYS was not distributed through the Cinestar cinema chain, nor is there currently an agreement for it to be broadcast on HRT — which is a great loss, above all, for viewers throughout Croatia.

Despite the stated and unstated challenges in the production of 260 DAYS, and despite the significant negative financial result it has produced so far, there remains a strong motivation to move forward with even greater determination. This is proven by the launch of production on the film VUKOVAR. Therefore, regardless of whether all those who previously failed to support such a production continue to ignore a film project the likes of which our country has not yet seen, we believe there is room for synergy between the producers and all those who agree that the time has come to produce the film about VUKOVAR that the Hero City deserves.

At this moment, discussions are underway with a number of Hollywood and international actors, as well as with potential leading figures in the film’s production. Everything is moving in a positive direction, and special efforts are also being made to secure a strong co-production partner from France, which would further support the film’s international distribution, as well as its promotion and positioning at the most prestigious film festivals around the world. While these activities are progressing, we are simultaneously carrying out processes aimed at securing the planned budget for the film’s production. One of the channels for raising these funds is this crowdfunding campaign, from which we expect a strong response from donors, since it has been created under the slogan “from the people, for the people.” In keeping with that slogan, our wish is for people to recognize the importance and value of this project and to support it with a donation within their means, so that together we may create a unique legacy for present and future generations. In gratitude for donor support, we have secured exceptionally valuable rewards, and we therefore believe in strong support, both in Croatia and throughout the diaspora, for this pricelessly important project for our people.

We ask all of you who agree that, on the 35th anniversary of the fall and occupation of the Hero City, the time has finally come to launch the Hollywood-level production of the film VUKOVAR, to support our campaign!

Om oss

In the autumn of 2023, we decided to produce, using our own resources, the first internationally relevant film about the Homeland War, with the goal of achieving a level of quality that would enable distribution in more than 100 countries worldwide. After the successful production of the film 260 DAYS, which unfortunately was not supported by a single relevant state institution, the motivation was born to produce a Hollywood-level trilogy of films about the Homeland War.

There is no doubt that VUKOVAR represents the central film of the planned trilogy in every sense of the word. It is the story of the Hero City — a city that symbolizes the values born from the Homeland War. For that reason, its production is highly complex and requires the engagement of significant resources. Just as 260 DAYS raised the quality bar to a level never before seen in contemporary Croatian cinema, we hope that VUKOVAR will raise that bar even higher.

About the project

❖ SHORT DESCRIPTION – A TRUE STORY OF COURAGE AND SACRIFICE AGAINST OVERWHELMING ODDS.

❖ SUMMARY – The film is set during the Battle of Vukovar in 1991, when, following the breakup of Yugoslavia, a historic, prosperous and multicultural city was placed under siege for 87 days. It was defended by around 1,800 poorly armed Croatian soldiers against an aggressor army which, in the days immediately before the fall and occupation of the City, numbered around 80,000 soldiers on the Vukovar battlefield.

❖ SYNOPSIS
The film VUKOVAR is not merely a retelling of the infamous battle that devastated a country and its people. It is a story of endurance and courage — a testament to the human spirit in the face of unimaginable hardship. It portrays real trials and suffering, standing as one example of the brutal landscape of destruction and crime that unfolded there. This war was fought by young men and women — many of them untrained, poorly equipped and unprepared for what awaited them. Their lives were torn apart. Yet even when faced with almost certain death, they fought with the perseverance and determination of experienced soldiers. In doing so, they earned not only a victory of spirit, but also the lasting title of true war heroes.

❖ PLOT AND CHARACTERS
Told through three intertwined stories inspired by real events, VUKOVAR portrays the human spirit amid apocalyptic destruction. Jean-Michel Nicollier, a French civilian with no military training, answers the call to defend a nation that is not his own. Hrvoje, a young Croatian volunteer, risks everything to protect his homeland. Zorica, the youngest nurse in the Vukovar hospital, fights to save the wounded as water, electricity and hope slowly disappear.

Their stories, together with those of Blago Zadro, Siniša Glavašević, Vesna Bosanac, Ivan Ivanika and other known and unknown heroes, illuminate the courage, integrity and resilience of ordinary people confronted with horrors Europe had not witnessed since the end of the Second World War. Although the world knows the outcome of this brutal war, the film VUKOVAR gives a voice to those who lived through it — those who died and those who survived — ensuring that their courage is never forgotten.

This film seeks to portray, with honesty and intensity, both the brutality and humanity of that struggle: a story that reveals the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit.

❖ ELEMENTS AND VISUAL STYLE
Hrvoje and Jean-Michel are on the ground, volunteer fighters in the field. We are limited to their perspective — no transitions, no relief, no insight into the enemy beyond what they themselves can see or hear. When the tanks begin to move forward, the first warning is sound: engines howling, steel scraping against concrete, a mechanical roar growing until it becomes unbearable. Then they appear — tanks and soldiers filling the frame — the very forces Hrvoje and Jean-Michel are preparing to face.

The battle scenes are visceral and immediate, captured with fast, raw handheld camerawork that throws the audience into the chaos of combat. The visual language evokes Saving Private Ryan — unstable, breathless and relentless — where every moment feels improvised, dangerous and alive.

Inside the Vukovar hospital, and through Zorica’s story, the film changes. The world narrows. The air is heavy, the spaces are cramped, and darkness presses in from all sides. Overcrowded corridors pulse with wounded bodies, exhausted doctors and terrified civilians huddled together in search of shelter. The visual tone here recalls Chernobyl: raw, oppressive and deeply human. The audience does not merely witness the suffering — it feels its weight, the suffocating despair and the quiet endurance of those trapped inside.

❖ AUTHOR’S MESSAGE

The story of Vukovar — a long-standing symbol of resistance and defiance for the Croatian people since 1991 — has never been fully portrayed on film. My goal is to bring that story to life as truthfully as possible, and to pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who fought there, those who died and those who survived. As someone born in Croatia who witnessed the events of the war, I clearly remember what the fall of Vukovar meant. I was only eleven years old, living in Zagreb, but I understood the implications: our capital could have been next. Every day, we anxiously awaited news from the battlefield, knowing that a disproportionately small number of defenders was holding back an army of tens of thousands. Their unwavering resistance did not merely symbolize defiance — it saved the rest of the country.

My goal is to place the viewer beside those people — to feel what they felt, to see what they saw: the fear, the courage, and the madness that permeated every day and every night. I want to portray the tireless will of the hospital staff in Vukovar, who, despite the lack of water, electricity and often food, managed to save hundreds of lives. – Dominik Sedlar

Cost estimate

The total projected cost required for the production of the film VUKOVAR is 5,140,605 euros. This amount covers:

• Actors – 2,060,000.00 euros
• Production costs – 1,470,605.00 euros
• Technical costs – 1,259,750.00 euros
• Other costs – 350,250.00 euros

Campaign team

Although the 260 DAYS team consists of a larger group of professionals, we have singled out Marija Majstrović here as the head of the crowdfunding campaign.

Word of the ambassadors

We believe that the more than 80,000 viewers who have already seen 260 DAYS in Croatia — and the more than 100,000 viewers we expect the film to reach by the end of the year — are the best ambassadors of this project, especially since VUKOVAR represents the continuation of the planned trilogy of films about the Homeland War.

Word of our users

260 DAYS, as the first film in the planned trilogy of films about the Homeland War, has been exceptionally well received by viewers in Croatia, as well as by film professionals around the world. This extraordinary support from viewers is one of the main motivators behind the production of the trilogy of films about the Homeland War.

Given that we will give our absolute maximum in the production of VUKOVAR, we expect even stronger reactions and reviews from audiences for this film.

Media supporting our work

We were very pleased with the media coverage of the production of 260 DAYS, and it has already been confirmed that we can count on media support in the continuation of the planned trilogy of films about the Homeland War — that is, in the production of VUKOVAR. For that, we are truly grateful.

Slik donerer du (det er enkelt!)

For å kunne foreta en vellykket betaling er det nødvendig å:
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2. Skriv inn de forespurte personopplysningene i skjemaet.;
3. Velg ønsket betalingsmåte:
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4. Confirm the payment according to further instructions of the platform.

Etter at betalingen er utført, er det nødvendig å vente en viss tid til betalingen er gjennomført. betalingen er behandlet og registreres på kampanjesiden. Betalinger foretatt med vanlig innbetalingskort eller nett-/mobilbank registreres innen 1-2 virkedager, og betalinger foretatt med kort, kryptovaluta, Aircash eller KEKS Pay innen 1-12 timer.

For ytterligere tekniske spørsmål angående betaling, vennligst kontakt oss via e-postadressen info@bonafidesinvest.eu eller telefonnummeret +385 (0)98 611 467.

Basic information about the campaign holder

Name of organization: Film Vukovar d.o.o.
Address of organization: Gospodarska zona 15, 32000 Vukovar
Person authorized for representation: Dražen Majstrović, CEO
E-mail: drazen@filmvukovar.hr
Tel./fax: +385 (0)31 250 100
Mob.: +385 (0)99 6000 000
Web: https://filmvukovar.hr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/filmvukovar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmvukovar
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FilmVukovar
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@filmvukovar
OIB: 63486194941

Information on the person who will operationally lead the campaign:
Marija Majstrović, campaign manager
marija@filmvukovar.hr
+385 (0)99 769 9849