"Montenegro - Wild Beauty" - Film screening at the European Commission Liaison Office in Pristina

View of the island of St George's Benedictine Monastery from the loggia of the church on the island of Our Lady of the Rock. Photo: Stevan Kordic

"Montenegro – Wild Beauty"
(52 minutes, in English)

"a compelling documentary series about the Balkans and Turkey”
Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Enlargement

"These are documentaries all of us citizens of the European Union should have the opportunity to see"
Giuliano Amato, former Italian Prime Minister

Return to Europe Series
Winner of the 2008 Erasmus EuroMedia Award

on Wednesday, 8 April 2009, at 17:30

With its rugged mountains and turbulent history, Montenegro is like a miniature version of the entire Balkan region. For centuries, the Catholic, Orthodox and Islamic cultures have come together in this country, which was known throughout Europe for its wild tribes and blood feuds. When Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia in summer 2006, many feared that the new state would collapse due to internal conflicts. But the former republic state of Yugoslavia – the only one that managed to avoid any kind of violent conflict on its territory after 1989 – now presents itself as a stable minor state with a flourishing economy and major tourist potential.

The documentary traces the development of the Montenegrin state and shows how the country is increasingly recognizing its multi-ethnic diversity as part of its identity. The film takes us on a journey from the coastal region with its holiday resorts and impressive old towns, such as the UNESCO-protected former Venetian city of Kotor, via the capital of the former Kingdom of Montenegro, Cetinje, to the villages of the Durmitor National park, which is often cut off from the outside world for six months in winter, where some of the traditional ways of life continue to survive.

Images of breath-taking natural scenery and the personal stories of Montenegrins and Serbs, Croats, Bosnians and Albanians complete the portrait of a country, whose tourism slogan is – not without reason – "wild beauty".

"Montenegro – Wild Beauty" is a part of the TV project "Return to Europe", a series of 10 one-hour TV documentaries featuring countries and cities in the Balkans. The aim of the series is to acquaint viewers across Europe with the latest developments in South East Europe and the struggle of the people of the region for a better future in a united Europe.

The series is supported by ERSTE Stiftung and has been jointly produced by the German-language satellite channel 3sat, Austria's public broadcaster ORF and the TV production company pre-TV, in cooperation with the European Stability Initinative (ESI), upon whose research and analysis these films are based. The films have recently been shown at international events in Brussels, Istanbul, Tbilisi, Berlin, and other cities across Europe and have received very positive feedback. They will be broadcast by a number of TV stations throughout the Balkans in coming months.

Please confirm your participation by e-mail to Maja Pavlovic.