ŽARKO LAUŠEVIĆ AS THE NARRATOR
„The Will’ was my first envisioned project. The idea was born during my first year at university. Filming was halted in 2017, but Telekom supported and recognized this kind of genre film. We always dreamed of bringing something we love watching to our own audience. The film is a mix of westerns and Serbian tradition. All these years, we were just thinking about how to weave it all together. I’m proud. When Strahinja came up with the saber, I knew we had a big film,” said director Nemanja Ćeranić.
He also commented on Žarko Laušević’s involvement in the project: “He couldn’t complete the role of Nikola. However, he is featured in the film as the narrator,” stated Ćeranić at the press conference for the film The Will of the Son, which is set to premiere on November 26 at the Sava Center.
Told in the style of traditional epic folk songs, with elements of contemporary neo-western, The Will of the Son brings us a post-apocalyptic story infused with emotion and action.
Unlike anything we’ve seen in domestic production so far, under the directorial vision of Nemanja Ćeranić, this cinematic tale takes us into a ruined post-apocalyptic world, narrated through the verses of a mysterious blind guslar. His epic poetry introduces us to tribes and their struggle to resist the tyranny of a distant city.
“I’m proud of the team, and I thank Telekom for deciding to join this project. The only similarity „The Will“ shares with South Wind is that both films had long preparation periods. We set boundaries and then pushed them. I believed in Volja as early as 2017. There were many challenges, but we persevered,” said producer Miloš Avramović.
This was echoed by creator and screenwriter Strahinja Madžarević, who added: “Our film is an epic song set in the future. We knew the audience had seen similar films in Hollywood. We wanted to create a Serbian story—a western, a samurai, and a guslar film all in one.”
Telekom Srbija once again recognized the potential and innovativeness of this project. Aleksandra Martinović, Director of Multimedia at Telekom Srbija, emphasized: “Telekom Srbija, as one of the largest producers, is setting standards in cinematography in this part of Europe. By investing our resources in projects like The Will of the Son, we provide an opportunity for a completely different genre that we haven’t seen in local production, as well as for a new generation of creators to stand out as the future leaders of Serbian cinema. At first glance, this film seems aimed at a male audience, but it fundamentally follows a female-driven narrative that inspires love, family values, and the fight for those we care about.”
The cast of the film includes Igor Benčina, Isidora Simijonović, Marta Bjelica, Sergej Trifunović, Jovo Maksić, Petar Benčina, Ivan Vujić, Svetozar Cvetković, Miodrag Radonjić, Zlatan Vidović, Milica Janevski, Aleksandar Đurica, Anita Mančić, and many others.
At today’s press conference, lead actor Igor Benčina stated that he watched the film for the second time and found it deeply emotional.
Actress Marta Bjelica added: “I adored my character and believed from the audition that this role was mine. No one could have played it better than me. I believe in this team. We faltered at times, but faith was key. It was a unique experience, and I don’t think it will ever happen again in my life.”
Starting November 28, The Will of the Son will be in cinemas across the country and the region, with distribution handled by Art Vista.
