U četvrtak, 4.avgusta 2022. godine u Vršac je došao moj kolega i prijatelj Aleksandar Despotović, zajedno sa svojim sinom Stevom. Njegov dolazak je bio radnog karaktera. Sale Despotović je direktor fotografije i treba da snima film Pruge koje život znače – „ Sećanje na banatske vozove“ po scenariju i režiji Đure Mrđe. U ovoj fazi rada kada čekamo rezultate konkursa kod Filmskog centra Srbije, Sale i ja smo obišli neke objekte i stanice u Vršcu, Jasenovu i Beloj Crkvi.
On Thursday, August 4, 2022, my colleague and friend Aleksandar Despotović came to Vršac together with his son Steve. His arrival was of a working nature. Sale Despotović is the director of photography and is supposed to shoot the film "Rails that mean life" - "Remembrance of the Banat trains" scripted and directed by Đura Mrđa. In this phase of work, when we are waiting for the results of the competition at the Film Center of Serbia, Sale and I visited some facilities and stations in Vršac, Jasenovo and Bela Crkva.
Uradili smo neka probna snimanja i slikali stanice za plakat filma. Film je trebao da bude u fazi snimanja, ali pošto još nisu odobrene finasijska sredstva od strane Filmskog centra Srbije koristimo vreme da snimimo fotke za plakat filma, WEB stranicu. Pošto smo u neku ruku i producenti filma kontaktiramo strane fondove i na taj način jednostavno rečeno tražimo novac za naš projekat. Sredstva koja smo do sada obezbedila nisu dovoljna za realizaciju filma.
We did some test shoots and took pictures of the stations for the movie poster. The film was supposed to be in the filming phase, but since the financial resources have not yet been approved by the Film Center of Serbia, we are using the time to take photos for the film's poster, WEB page. Since we are also film producers in a way, we contact foreign funds and in that way simply ask for money for our project. The funds we have provided so far are not enough for the realization of the film.
Obezbedili smo tehniku za snimanje, angažovali smo određen broj saradnika. Formirali bogatu arhivu – dokumentaciju snimljenog materijala u periodu 2004 – 2022. Preko 10 sati kvalitetnog filmskog materijala koji sam snimio u prethodnom periodu biće koriščeni u ovom filmu.
We provided the recording equipment, we hired a certain number of collaborators. Formed a rich archive - documentation of recorded material in the period 2004 - 2022. Over 10 hours of high-quality film material that I recorded in the previous period will be used in this film.
Gledaoci će videti kako su pruge i stanice izgledale pre dvdesetak godina, a kako izgledaju danas. Kroz ovo sentimentalno putovanje, vodiće nas narator Milan Caci Mihailović, pored njega govoriće stare mašinovođe, otpravnici vozova, šefovi stanica, čuvari pruga, putnici...Istoričari i hroničari...
Viewers will see how the tracks and stations looked twenty years ago, and how they look today. Through this sentimental journey, the narrator Milan Caci Mihailović will guide us, next to him old train drivers, train conductors, station masters, railway guards, passengers... Historians and chroniclers will speak...
U filmu, proći ćemo prugama koje su nestale i urasle u banatsku zemlju i ravnicu, ali i prugama kojima i danas saobraćaju vozovi. Verujem da će priča o banatskim prugama i železnici privući vašu pažnju. U planu je prvo bioskopska premijera a potom će i televizijski gledaoci imati priliku da vide ovaj dugometražni dokumentarni film. Pored filma za televizijske gledaoce biće urađena i serija od šest epizoda.
Film o Bantskim vozovima biće svojevrsna priča o vremenu koje je danas daleka prošlost, podsetićemo se na : Prvu prugu, ispričaćemo “Priču o banatskim vozovima”, o Orjent expresu “Voz nad vozovima”, Stanicama u Banatu, “Muzeju lokomotiva u Rešici” I na kraju “Vozovi jos uvek sviraju”.
Iz ovog kratkog sinopsisa možete da vidite sadržaj filma. Meni kao scenaristi i reditelju ova priča budi posebnu vrstu emocije pošto su moj deda, očev otac i otac bili mašinovođe koje su vozili parne lokomotive i vozove po banatskim prugama.
In the film, we will pass along the tracks that have disappeared and grown into the Banat land and plain, but also along the tracks on which trains still run today. I believe that the story about Banat railways and railways will attract your attention. First, the cinema premiere is planned, and then television viewers will have the opportunity to see this feature-length documentary. In addition to the film for television viewers, a six-episode series will be made.
The film about the Bant trains will be a kind of story about a time that is now a distant past, we will remember: The first railway, we will tell the "Story of the Banat trains", about the Orient Express "Train above the trains", Stations in Banat, "Locomotive Museum in Rešica" and at the end "The trains are still playing".
From this short synopsis you can see the content of the film. As a screenwriter and director, this story evokes a special kind of emotion for me, since my grandfather, father's father and father were train drivers who drove steam locomotives and trains on the Banat railways.
Prvi kadrovi za ovaj film snimljeni su 20.avgusta 2004. Na dan kada je prvi voz prošao ovim delom Banata, 20.avgust 1854. Na dan kada je bio veliki jubileja: 150 godina prve banatske pruge. Nažalost niko nije obeležio tu značajnu godišnjicu. Kao što neće ni ovog 20.avgusta 2022. Posle osamnaest godina nastavljam sa snimanjem.
The first frames for this film were shot on August 20, 2004. On the day when the first train passed through this part of Banat, August 20, 1854. On the day of the great jubilee: 150 years of the first Banat railway. Unfortunately, no one marked that important anniversary. As it will not be this August 20, 2022. After eighteen years, I continue with the recording.
Za mene posebnu simboliku ima prisustvo sedmogodišnjeg Steve, sina mog snimatelja Saleta Despotovića. Koji je zajedno sa ocem fotografisao stare stanice, lokomotivu u Vršcu, prugu i šine koje urastaju u banatsku zemlju. Podsetio me je na moje detinjstvo kada sam ja sa ocem prolazio ovim prugama i stanicama…
For me, the presence of seven-year-old Steve, the son of my cameraman Salet Despotović, has special symbolism. Who, together with his father, photographed the old stations, the locomotive in Vršac, the railway and the rails growing into the Banat land. It reminded me of my childhood, when I and my father used to pass by these tracks and stations...
Život ne može da stane.
Life cannot stop!