Tatjana Bokan

Based on a comedy TV series about Serbian "aristocracy" during the Turkish "answer" to the Serbian Uprising during the Serbian-Turkish war in the 19th century. During this time it was of the utmost importance to take the right steps and wisdom is really needed for making those right steps. With the help of a fortune teller, Karadjordje (the leader of the Uprising) learns that, according to a legend, somewhere in the hills exists a Stone of Wisdom which makes you, if you hit your head against it three times, more wise. So he employs his nephew Crni Gruja, with assistants Ceda Velja and Bole, to find him this miraculous Stone. Crni Gruja finds the Stone and, convinced that he is really becoming more wiser, decides to make some business.

The film depicts the first month of 1945 when the Russian Red Army broke into the eastern part of Germany and forced millions of civilians to flee in the coldest of winter. While the Russians invaded Ostpreussen hundred of thousands of civilians were evacuated by ships. Gotenhafen was the last open port and ships left the town almost by the minute, overloaded by refugees. One of the last ships to leave Gotenhafen was the 'Wilhelm Gustloff', a former 'Kraft durch Freude' pleasure cruiser designed for 1000 passengers. Until today it is unknown how many people were on board but it is said to be around 10.000. The ship sunk without a trace and only a handful of people survived this hellish nightmare.

If it hasn't been filmed it hasn't happened. It happened the way it was filmed.

Two parallel stories set in a village in Central Serbia about two families and the political context of the time.

The outbreak of the Serbian uprising against the Turks leaves a corrupt local chieftain struggling to find a way to a better life.