Miloš Biković: Between earning from lithium and a healthy environment, I choose clean rivers, mountains and air

Miloš Biković, actor and producer, is the president of the jury of the 50th Fest. Last year, he played in five out of ten films that were seen by over 100.000 people in Serbia. In Russia, he acted in numerous films and series, just to name a few Servants, the most watched movie there of all time. Since two years ago, his production company Archangel Digital Studios has partnered with Hollywood's Iervolino Studios for the production of animated content, and the premiere of the 54-episode series is expected soon. Impossible Puffins on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and many other major streaming platforms.

The fact that the Fest is celebrating its 50th birthday "already speaks volumes about its importance, size and significance, but also its vitality to survive in different times and circumstances. It's one of the few events in Belgrade that hardly anyone likes", points out Miloš Biković and adds that he always hoped that some of his "acting and/or production achievements will be included in one of the FEST programs". This year he managed to do it, a Russian film I want a husband. in which he plays and whose co-producer will be in the revue program.

He considers the role of the president of the jury of this year's Fest to be "small", because the Fest is "first of all a story about film and the meetings of film lovers, and only then about the awards."

He believes that at a time when it has become common for awards to be decided on the basis of political elements, "festivals, maybe not all, but a good part of them, are still an oasis of art where there is no politics. "I can only speak about the practice of judging itself from a personal point of view, and in that context, I do not have too much experience. I was a member of the jury at the international festivals in Kazakhstan and Moscow and I didn't feel any kind of pressure, I voted solely according to my artistic and human feeling. That will certainly be the case this time as well," says Biković.

Any kind of activism is welcome

He comments on the current civic environmental protests as a way "to draw attention to certain topics and issues, and as we can see, they have succeeded, but protests are not an automatic solution to the problem in themselves." They should be solved "systemically - with laws and procedures, and most importantly, by respecting the procedures, and we have traditionally, like some courage, always lacked that". He believes that it is "extremely dangerous in the context of a possible ecological disaster."

Regarding the participation of his colleagues in the protests, he says that "every kind of activism is desirable", with the fact that "activism is not, in itself, some kind of exclusivity and privilege reserved for a specific branch. Actors and celebrities can draw attention to certain topics and raise questions that will then, perhaps, lead to an awakening or a change in consciousness about those things. But they cannot be the saviors of the people or the messiah." The activism he believes in the most is "to change the circumstances in which we live and which I can influence in my micro world for the better through personal involvement, work and actions."

Between the profit we would get from the exploitation of lithium and boron, and a healthy environment, Biković unequivocally chooses a healthy environment, because "we don't have spare rivers, mountains, or air."

In Russia too, says Miloš Biković, there is a trend of "a healthy way of life, or as they call it - zozh" which "opens up many environmental issues, with the fact that polluted air is not as much of a problem in Moscow as it is in Belgrade". It seems to him that it is possible that environmental problems also exist in other parts of the country, but given the size of Russia, they are mostly relocated outside the big cities."

Heroes from Košar deserve a movie monument

Some of the problems he solves as the president of the Cinematography Group of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce concern the Film Center of Serbia (FCS) - before all the elections of new members of the FCS Board of Directors. "In coordination and good cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, I think we are on the right track to finding a solution for what is happening with FCS as well." It is important for every institution, including FCS, that people with credibility, in this case creative credibility, manage such institutions," says Biković.

About the movie Baskets, also the big problem of FCS, in which Biković was supposed to act but the realization of which did not start due to events that are inappropriate to the theme and goal of this film, he talks about as "a big topic that requires a lot of responsibility from both the author and the entire team" so that's why he thought intensively whether to accept participation in that film.

"My attitude towards it was such that I entered the project with all my heart and soul and waived the fees in favor of the families of the fallen soldiers, with a sincere desire to treat such an important topic in the right way through a film and series." I recognized the same desire in my friend Balša Đog, with whom I collaborated back in Montevideo. I don't know the possible epilogue, but I hope that the heroes who deserved such a cinematic monument will get it in the end."

Unification of the regional film market

 One of Biković's projects is the merger of the regions. He says that "our individual, small states are each in themselves small markets that make the development and survival of our individual cinemas practically unsustainable."

He believes that "treating that area as a single unit in terms of production and distribution would not only increase production value projects, but also the quality of series and films, which then, all together, makes us much more relevant in European and world contexts."

Biković says: "We have a historical, cultural and creative background in these areas, so we have all the preferences to create high-quality game and animated content for which there is a real hunger in the world, and it would be a shame not to use these potentials."

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