Novine

Having already tried his hand at auteur, comedy and drama, prolific director Dalibor Matanić's latest work sees him attempt to conquer the TV industry. That the series centres on Rijeka was surely no coincidence; based here is the daily newspaper “Glas Istre”, widely regarded as the only independent publication in Croatia during the Balkan Wars and thus frequently subject to pressure from various quarters. In this twelve-part series, the first two of which will feature at this year's FilmFestival Cottbus, Matanić captures the troubled minds of his protagonists and the scrupulous adversaries they're up against with a keen sense of the spirit of Rijeka, with its bustling blend of industry and grandeur. The story of these journalistic underdogs, up against the combined superior force of a coalition of populists, the church and shady businessmen provides a pointed analysis of the nepotism that remains widespread across much of Eastern Europe and beyond. BB