ALEKSANDAR LAZIĆ: FILM "THE LINE" - STORY ABOUT HUMANITY

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, FEBRUARY 13 /SRNA/ – The anti-war drama "The Line", currently being filmed in the Sarajevo–Romanija region, is a powerful story about humanity, actor Aleksandar Lazić, the lead protagonist of this film about the heroic act of wartime surgeon Dr. Miodrag Lazić, told SRNA.

"What the films that depict Balkan events, both in general and historically, especially over the past 30 years, are missing are these heroic stories that speak about the best human and humanitarian examples. Human sacrifice and love for homeland, human beings - in one word, philanthropy, are the central theme of this film," Lazić emphasized.

He stated that Dr. Lazić laid down his life on the altar of humanity and the struggle for freedom and justice, which is a very rare example of sacrifice in today’s world.

According to him, Dr. Lazić always moved toward helping people, choosing any means necessary to provide assistance and disregarding his own sacrifice, which is the central theme of the film.

"Filming `The Line` on Mount Romanija was very emotional for all participants, especially for those who experienced the exodus of Sarajevo Serbs, yet they were the very ones who gave their all to make this film project succeed," Lazić said.

Duško Mazalica, an actor of the Republika Srpska Children's Theatre, who portrays Šklapo in the film "The Line", told SRNA that the role is very challenging for him.

"Šklapo is a very interesting character for an actor because his presence creates certain `breathing spaces` and changes in rhythm in the storytelling itself, which is very challenging for me as an actor. In difficult scenes, Šklapo opens up new levels of expression," Mazalica stated.

He says that Šklapo's communication with children is particularly interesting, as well as with animals, especially with a horse and a dog named Fido.

Mazalica described his collaboration with director and co-screenwriter Dragan Elčić as fantastic, noting that Elčić brings a great deal of symbolism into the film, making the storyline multilayered.

According to him, communication between motion picture extras and actors was at a high level, filled with mutual respect and understanding of the magnitude of the task required to realize this major film project.

The final scenes of "The Line" are being filmed in the Sarajevo–Romanija region from February 7 until Monday, February 16, and the film’s premiere is expected in September.

In addition to a large number of extras, members of the Circle of Serbian Sisters Holy Great Martyr Thekla from Pale, headed by president Ljiljana Nešković, played a significant role in filming the final scenes.

Nešković told SRNA that they gladly accepted to be part of the project.

"Today we are both proud and sad; in those fateful days we were brave and defiant, although with tears and sorrow, on the snow-covered Trebević, in extremely cold weather, we welcomed displaced Sarajevo Serbs, refreshing them with tea, sandwiches, and fritters. We also gave many of them woolen socks, hats, and gloves that we knitted ourselves…" Nešković recalled with emotion.

The film "The Line" is a historical anti-drama inspired by motifs from the "War Diary" of Dr. Miodrag Lazić. It is based on a screenplay by director and professor Dragan Elčić and writer Željko Pržulj. A special narrative line depicts the epic exodus of 120,000 Serbs from Sarajevo.

The cross, as a metaphor for suffering and hardship, was carried by Sarajevo Serbs in the post-Dayton, biblical exodus. Between their homes and Republika Srpska, they chose Srpska and freedom within it.

The central thread of the project is the humanity and heroic deeds of Dr. Lazić, as well as his colleagues Dr. Milan Pejić and Dr. Slavko Ždrale, who during the Defensive-Patriotic War saved thousands of lives regardless of the patients’ nationality.

Dr. Miodrag Lazić, originally from Niš, was a great humanitarian who voluntarily went to the Sarajevo battlefield in 1992, to the wartime hospital Žica in order to help soldiers of Republika Srpska who were dying from wounds due to the lack of adequate medical care.

The film is being produced by Ramonda Production from Belgrade, with Goran Ikonić as producer. Prvi kadar production from Istočno Sarajevo also plays a major role in the filming as the executive producer for Republika Srpska.