Stigmas

Stigme deals with the universal subject of ideological stigmatization. The film is set in western Herzegovina, in the turbulent period after the Second World War. It talks about the devastation in a traditional environment left by ideological confrontations, which culminates during a tobacco journey. The main character of the film is Dragan, the son of an ex-Yugoslav security-intelligence organization officer Mile (who ends up in prison). Dragan is forced to go on a tobacco journey with a group of tobacco smugglers, believing that none of the smugglers know his true identity.

Directed by Zdenko Jurilj, Stigmas leans on a strong ensemble — Bojan Beribaka, Ivo Krešić, Ivan Skoko — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2023.