Movies

Nineteenth-century Montenegro was a land of free mountain territories surrounded by Turkish forces. Isolated from the West, it was steeped in conservatism, patriarchy and superstition. Inspired by the figure of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, Morlak — a poet and bishop — leads his tribe in resistance against the invaders. Seriously ill, he is sent to southern Italy in search of a cure. His travels take him to a house in Naples, a city that stands in stark contrast to the secluded mountains of his homeland. While Morlak ponders his own existence, his devoted servant, Đuko, grapples with profound nostalgia and the apprehension that his master may perish in a foreign land.

The second feature film by Montenegrin director Ivan Salatić offers a poetic vision of the disintegration of power. It is inspired by Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, who was the founder of Montenegrin statehood, a pioneer of its literature and a religious authority.

However, this is not a historical film; rather, it explores the personal and ideological unravelling of a ruler. Visually striking, the film focuses more on emotion and aesthetics than on the events themselves and draws inspiration from the book Pisma iz Italije (Letters from Italy) by Ljubomir Nenadović, which recounts conversations and impressions of Njegoš from their meetings in Naples in 1851.