Movies

Dejan (32) is brought to a monastic community for addiction treatment by his mother, where they are welcomed by the charismatic and authoritarian Father Branko (56). Dejan is assigned a sponsor, Mionica (33), who has undergone treatment himself and is expected to guide Dejan on the road to recovery. The community operates as a strictly organised system, governed by clear rules of discipline and punishment. Recognising Dejan’s potential, Father Branko gradually entrusts him with more and more responsible duties. However, when disturbing footage emerges of Father Branko brutally beating one of the residents, the survival and methods of the community are seriously called into question. One evening, Dejan’s sponsor, Mionica, returns to the centre under the influence of drugs. Now Father Branko’s right-hand man, Dejan must make a difficult decision: should he try to save his friend or brutally punish him in front of everyone as Branko orders?

Premiering in Toronto, this drama, inspired by a real-life scandal in Serbia, explores the boundaries between salvation, manipulation and submission. Lead actor Vučić Perović won the Golden Arena for Best Actor in a minority co-production.