"Halyard is a unique story", Radoš Bajić about the film Heroes of Halyard
The director, script writer, a member of the Jury of the Main Competition of 46th Moscow International Film Festival Radoš Bajić presented the film Heroes of Halyard participating in the Special Screenings programme.
It is the spring of 1944, World War II is in its final stages. In a remote Serbian village, the largest single rescue operation of American and Allied pilots in world aviation history, known as Operation Halyard, is underway. The film tells a story about the three Jović brothers and their family torn between conflicting ideologies. Mirko fights in the units of the Royal Yugoslav Army in Fatherland, Sreten has joined the Partisans, while the youngest Ilija his father wants to safeguard, is torn between two sides. The saga of this family and their individual tragic fates present a paradigm of the Serbian national tragedy, wars of brother against brother and ideological splits.
Radoš Bajić: "Both armies fought against fascism – the Royal army mercenaries and Tito's communists, guerillas. For 70 years, we have been living under the Communist propaganda and did not understand the true situation. And only 10 years ago, the role of both these armies in the defeat of Fascism became equal. So, the film and the six-episode series were warmly welcomed in Serbia. We are awake and regaining our spirits. But we need to learn from your example. I am deeply impressed by the Immortal Regiment initiative when you hold portraits of you forefathers who fought during World War II, regardless of whether they were Communists or not. This is a very good tradition, which we must learn from you. Halyard is a unique story. Back then, Serbian people were saving Americans in extremely hard conditions: when people were suffering from an internal conflict, they lent a helping hand anyway. More than 500 people were saved then, and it was generally the world biggest operation to rescue troops from an occupied territory".