Croatian film wins European Oscar for Best Short Film

Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti

Zagreb, 8 December – The Croatian short film The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (original title Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti), directed and written by Nebojša Slijepčević and produced by Katarina Prpić and Danijel Pek (Antitalent), won the European Film Award (EFA) for Best Short Film on Saturday, 7 December, during the 37th annual awards ceremony of the European Film Academy in Lucerne, Switzerland.

“I’m thrilled; I never believed we could win two major awards in a single year. This one is particularly special because it’s awarded by our peers in the industry. I’m delighted that European voters recognised and celebrated a film about a man whose humanity and solidarity surpassed national or religious divides. I think this is not only a commendation for our film but also a reflection of the times we’re living in,” said director Nebojša Slijepčević.

“We are delighted with another significant recognition for our film. We are immensely proud of Nebojša, Goran, and the entire team, and grateful to our co-producers, funding bodies, and especially the Croatian Audiovisual Centre for their support, as well as to the European Film Academy. Following the Palme d’Or, tens of thousands of people in Croatia and around the world have seen The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent. We hope this award will help the film reach an even wider audience,” producers Katarina Prpić and Danijel Pek commented on the occasion.

Since its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent has been screened at over 80 festivals worldwide, including the Toronto Film Festival, Manhattan Short, PÖFF Shorts in Tallinn, the Stockholm Film Festival, and Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, among many others.

In addition to receiving critical acclaim, the film has earned numerous awards, such as the Grand Prix at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Audience Award at Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Best Film at the Euro-Balkan Film Festival in Rome, Best Actor (Goran Bogdan) at the Sulmona Film Festival (SIFF), and Best Cinematography (Gregor Božič) at the Bucharest Short Film Festival, among others.

(Photo: Antitalent)

Thanks to its accolades at Cannes, Melbourne, and its selection for Manhattan Short, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent has qualified for consideration for an Academy Award nomination. It is also among the films vying for a nomination for the César Award, presented by the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques.

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent competed for the European Film Award alongside four other short films in a unique cross-genre category: the Portuguese live-action film 2720, the Dutch animated film Wander to Wonder, and two French productions – the live-action Clamor and the live-action/animated The Girl Who Exploded.

Two Croatian titles have previously won the EFA in the short film category: the German-Croatian co-production The Chicken by Una Gunjak in 2014, and Picnic by Jure Pavlović in 2015.

The film tells the true story of an act of heroism during the mid-1990s. In Štrpci, Bosnia and Herzegovina, armed Serbian paramilitary forces stopped a train with 500 passengers travelling from Belgrade to Bar and committed a war crime by executing 19 Muslim passengers.

The only person to stand against this atrocity was Tomo Buzov, a retired officer of the Yugoslav People’s Army from Kaštela.

The screenplay, based on true events, was written by director Nebojša Slijepčević. The cast includes Goran Bogdan, Alexis Manenti, Dragan Mićanović, Silvio Mumelaš, Lara Nekić, Priska Ugrina, Dušan Gojić, Nebojša Pop Tasić, Mijo Pavelko, Martin Kuhar, Jakov Zovko, and Robert Ugrina.

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent was produced by Antitalent, with producers Katarina Prpić and Danijel Pek. Co-producers include Katya Trichkova (Contrast Films, Bulgaria), Noëlle Lévénez (Les Films Norfolk, France), and Boštjan Virc (Studio Virc, Slovenia).