ROMIĆ: "GOLDEN CUT 42 - CHILDREN OF KOZARA" CONTRIBUTES TO PRESERVING CULTURE OF REMEMBRANCE

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 27 /SRNA/ - Secretary-General to the President of Republika Srpska Marko Romić said today that director Lordan Zafranović's film Golden Cut 42 - Children of Kozara is more than a work of art, as it serves as a reminder of the suffering of the Serb people and contributes to preserving the culture of remembrance.

"Children of Kozara is a first-rate artistic work dealing with some of the most tragic and harrowing chapters in the history of the Serb people, particularly the suffering of the most vulnerable part of society - children," Romić told reporters in Banja Luka. He said the Serb public was approaching the film with particular emotion because it serves both as a reminder of historical events and as a warning that similar tragedies must never happen again. Romić stressed that the depiction of suffering in the film was not directed against any nation, but was intended to document historical facts and pass remembrance on to future generations. "Without understanding what happened in 1942, we will not be able to know what needs to be done in 2026, 2027 and all the years ahead," Romić said. He said the support and patronage extended to the film by the President of Republika Srpska reflected an institutional responsibility to preserve the memory of the suffering of the Serb people in the territory of the Independent State of Croatia /NDH/. Romić said Republika Srpska, together with Serbia, should build a strong, organized and coordinated culture of remembrance, adding that this film was one such project. He noted that Zafranović had described the film as a kind of warning against extreme right-wing ideologies and an "anatomy of evil." "The NDH is proof that history contains examples of evil becoming organized and reaching the level of state organization," Romić said, stressing that the film should present historical facts in an authentic manner. Speaking about the rise of right-wing ideologies in Europe, Romić said democratic center-right and right-wing parties should not be equated with extremist ideologies. He expressed concern about developments in Croatia which, he said, evoked images from 1941, but voiced confidence that this would not be the future Croatia chooses. The premiere of Golden Cut 42 - Children of Kozara will be held on Saturday, October 3, at 5.00 p.m. at the Borik Sports Center in Banja Luka.