In the run-up to the premiere of the film “Sunday” scheduled for January 16 in Belgrade, a press conference has been held at the Roda Cineplex cinema. The film which features a story about one of the most popular singers in this region, Džej Ramadanovski, was produced by Pelicula production and Telekom Srbija, with the support of the Serbian Film Centre and based on the idea of producer Vladan Anđelković and screenwriter Stefan Bošković. Actors Husein Husa Alijević, Marko Janketić, and Milica Janevski, director Nemanja Ćeranić, screenwriter Stefan Bošković, producer Vladan Anđelković, and Aleksandra Martinović, the head of the Telekom Srbija Multimedia Division, spoke to the media at the press conference.
“Stefan Bošković and I were sitting in an inn and discussed a different project as we heard Džej’s song playing in the background. We began talking about him and soon we came up with an idea of making a film about the legendary singer. When it comes to a biopic like this, we knew it from the start that production-wise, casting will pose the greatest challenge. Particularly challenging was finding an actor to play the part of a Džej in his thirties and a Džej in his teenage years. We were lucky with Husa. We spotted the little Džej, played by Alen Selimi, in the Skadarlija district, as he was selling roses. We invited him for the casting and as he was singing the song “Sunday”, we immediately knew that the boy was incredibly talented”, Vladan Anđelković, the producer, said and thanked the many media outlets for their turn-out for the press-conference.
Aleksandra Martinović, the head of the Telekom Srbija Multimedia Division, addressed the media.
“The film “Sunday” is a veritable chronicle of that era and the Dorćol neighbourhood, bringing an authentic atmosphere and a special emotion, all of which was portrayed through Džej’s character. In terms of scenario, directing, production and acting, the film makes a difference and that is why we expect it to be a huge success. Through this film and all projects which are yet to be premiered, Telekom Srbija upholds its strategy of investing in Serbian filmmaking and Serbia’s further positioning as the production leader in this part of Europe“.
For the screenwriter, Stefan Bošković, the most interesting was the research into the topic for which he received most help from Džej’s friend Miodrag Mića Softić.
“It was a challenge to select the most interesting details from Džej’s life and incorporate them into the movie. We talked with Mića Softić for hours and he told us many interesting facts which we used in the film”, said Bošković.
The film, whose trailer has already drawn great public attention, brings a story about friendship, music, the Dorćol neighbourhood, local rascals and the life during the 1980s and 1990s.
“As much as this is a film about an era and a Belgrade neighbourhood, it is also a story about two Romany brothers. A tale of two different turns in life and two different fates. The character of Iso Lero Džamba, a cousin of Džej’s, is very interesting for me. Džej, a veritable outsider, looked up to Džamba as a role-model, wishing to become like him. However, a complete turnabout took place as Džamba disappeared and Džej became the most famous singer in Yugoslavia”, said director Nemanja Ćeranić.
The cast includes Husein Husa Alijević, Marko Janketić, Stefan Vukić, Aleksej Bjelogrlić, Alen Selimi, Ana Pindović, Zlatan Vidović, Maša Đorđević, Milica Janevski, Stojsa Oljačić, Ivan Jevtović, Jovo Maksić, Bajram Severdžan, Nela Mihajlović, etc…
Although his childhood was not an easy one as he mainly lived in the street or in a correctional institution, Džej managed to take the music scene by storm and through his songs, become part of many people’s lives. Inspired by true events, the film “Sunday” will rekindle the memory of the legendary singer and depict his life from his childhood to the early 1990s and the outset of his music career.
After its Belgrade premiere, the film is to be included in the regular cinema repertoire as of 18 January.
