The documentary, produced and written by Dusan Gajic, follows a French family of winemakers who moved to a remote village of Rogljevo in Serbia, an area once known worldwide for its wine. “The Promise is a stunningly filmed documentary…,” British critic Marcus Agar writes in a published on his Wild Rooster website. “[Mirkovic] skilfully counterpoints pastoral images of verdant fields, mist-glistening mornings and amber-hued dusks with the stress and frustration that Cyrille and Estelle must endure as outsiders with big ideas.”

Mirkovic has taught in the at 91����Ƶ since fall 2016.

Prior awards for “The Promise” include:

• “Best Cultural Documentary” at the Eugene (Ore.) Film Festival;
• at the Mediterranean Film Festival (Winter Edition) in Italy;
• an official selection of the ;
• an official selection of the Hoboken International Film Festival;
• an official selection of the ;
• an official selection of the Belgrade Film Festival;
• Best Cinematography Documentary Feature at the in Stillwater, Oklahoma;
• Exceptional Merit, Depth of Field International Film Festival, Delaware;
• Best Script at Oenovideo Film Festival, France;
• Best Documentary Award at European Cinematography Awards.

A , hosted by the Embassy of France in Washington D.C., was part of The D.C. Francophonie Cultural Festival.

There have been Oscar murmurings for the film. In an article posted on RivieraBuzz titled “,” author Natja Igney profiles Mirkovic’s life and work.

The Oscar candidacy she refers to in the title alludes not only to this present film but also to “The Second Meeting,” about the friendship of an America F-117A pilot and the missile officer who shot him down in 1999. [Read a and watch the .]

Mirkovic has earned close to 50 international recognitions for his films, which have been featured at more than 200 international film festivals and broadcasted over TV stations throughout Europe, USA and Asia.

Among other projects, Mirkovic plans to collaborate with Professor on a film that explores the meaning of the words salam, Shalom, and Peace, and their interpretation in the languages of the three monotheistic religions. They are currently seeking funding, with plans to travel to film in Israel, Palestine, Italy, Saudi-Arabia, Iran, Russia, Egypt and the United States.

Mirkovic is completing his PhD dissertation at the University of Vienna, Austria, in the Media and Communication Department on the topic of media and war. He earned an undergraduate degree in television directing at the Academy of Art in Belgrade in 1999, and an MA at ETMA (European Television Management Academy), Strasbourg, France, and Bournemouth University, UK. 

This article has been updated 6/20/2017.

“The Promise” is an award-winning documentary, filmed over four years, about French winemakers who move to Rogljevo, Serbia, to revive the ancient tradition of Serbian winemaking. In the area are more than 20 wine cellars, some of which have been in use for 2000 years. The French and Serbian embassies are co-hosting the event.

Admission to the screening is free, but is required.

Since its release in August, the documentary has won the Best Cultural Documentary Award at Eugene (Oregon) International Film Festival, and the at the Mediterranean Film Festival (Winter Edition) in Italy. The film is also an official selection of the and has earned Best Cinematography Documentary Feature at the in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Mirkovic and producer Dusan Gajic made many trips to the village to film interactions between the villagers and the entrepreneurial couple. Each year was a challenge, both financially and in terms of whether the vineyards were productive, Mirkovic said. “They were thinking all of the time whether to continue or to give up. The story is really about their strength and motivation and hope that someone will recognize their efforts. Wine in this area is not just something you drink, but it’s very connected culturally. The whole circle of life, from birth to death, is connected with wine.”

The collaboration was eventually successful and the couple continues to make wine today, which is sold around the world.

Mirkovic’s films have won 45 international awards and been featured at more than 200 international film festivals and broadcasted over TV stations throughout Europe, USA and Asia.

“The Second Meeting,” about the friendship of an America F-117A pilot and the missile officer who shot him down in 1999, was an Oscar candidate. [Read a and watch the .]

Mirkovic has taught in the at 91����Ƶ since fall 2016. He is completing his PhD dissertation at the University of Vienna, Austria, in the Media and Communication Department on the topic of media and war.

Mirkovic earned an undergraduate degree in television directing at the Academy of Art in Belgrade in 1999, and an MA at ETMA (European Television Management Academy), Strasbourg, France, and Bournemouth University, UK.

Click for more information about The DC Francophonie Festival, which celebrates the diversity and richness of the French language and francophone communities around the world through a series of cultural events and outreach programs.

The documentary follows a French family of winemakers who moved to a remote village of Rogljevo in Serbia, an area once known worldwide for its wine. “The French promised to revive the ancient glory of a forgotten region, but clash of cultures and mentalities puts that goal in question,” according to a film synopsis.

“I hope this documentary will inspire people and launch a debate about how to revive this region,” says Mirkovic. “It is symbolic story about our region in a wider sense: a place where great potentials often fail to be realized.”

Approximately 120 wine cellars in Rogljevo and other places in the region have been inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Despite such recognition, only a few cellars are still in use.

“The arrival of the French exposed some existential questions for this region,” says Dusan Gajic, producer and author of the film. “The whole culture built around ancient winemaking tradition is at the edge of disappearing. Possibly the best wine terroir in the Balkans and one of the best terroirs in Europe lies today in ruins. This is a sad, striking paradox addressed by our documentary.”

The documentary is supported by Film Center Serbia and Creative Europe fund of the European Union.

This is the 44th international award for Mirkovic. “The Second Meeting,” about the friendship of an America F-117A pilot and the missile officer who shot him down in 1999, was an Oscar candidate. [Read a and watch the .]

Mirkovic earned an undergraduate degree in television directing at the Academy of Art in Belgrade in 1999, and an MA at ETMA (European Television Management Academy), Strasbourg, France, and Bournemouth University, UK. He is completing his PhD dissertation at the University of Vienna, Austria, in the Media and Communication Department on the topic of media and war.

His films have been featured at more than 200 international film festivals and broadcasted over TV stations throughout Europe, USA and Asia.

Last month, foundation president Nikola Lonchar visited 91����Ƶ to talk to students and meet with faculty and administrators about potential collaborations. Lonchar explained that Tesla’s green, affordable energy work at the intersection of science, sustainability, and peacebuilding fits well with 91����Ƶ’s values.

Tesla “was not only a scientist,” says Mirkovic. “He was a thinker who was trying to build a better world for all of us.” He shared the following quote from Tesla: “Let the future tell the truth, and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments. The present is theirs; the future, for which I have really worked, is mine.”

Foundation celebrates Tesla’s legacy

The Tesla Science Foundation is a Philadelphia-based organization devoted to promoting the legacy, accomplishments and innovative spirit of Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla. The foundation promotes Tesla through curricula, educational installations, webinars, workshops, awards and inventor resources.

Tesla (1856-1943) invented the alternating current system, as well as radio, fluorescent light, x-rays, remote controls and a multitude of other technologies. Mirkovic theorizes that application of Tesla’s energy work was limited not by a lack of funding, but by Tesla’s insistence that his technologies be used peaceably.

One potential collaboration between the foundation and 91����Ƶ is an exhibit in the Suter Science Center, with operational models such as a Tesla coil – an innovative form of high-voltage power supply – that would be accessible to STEM students and the community.

Engineering major takes off at 91����Ƶ

Lonchar and Mirkovic also met with professor to discuss collaborative opportunities. Tian is founder and adviser to the 91����Ƶ chapter of the Engineers for a Sustainable World club. This group of innovative students has built a greenhouse and installed solar panels on the campus chicken coop. They are currently working on a that doubles as a power generator hooked up to 91����Ƶ’s main grid. The bike project is sponsored by an Earthkeepers grant and the Student Government Association.

Tian hopes to get her club involved with the proposed exhibit, and include a unit on Tesla in future engineering courses. Mirkovic also intends to include the media aspect of the exhibit in his digital media classes.

“These young minds have to know how important they are” to solving sustainability challenges and promoting green energy, said Lonchar.