The extraordinary story of a woman who rose up against plans to convert her mountain into a military range has received international attention through the documentary To Hold a Mountain.
The film recounts Mileva Guara’s life Jovanovic, a bar from Montenegro, which led the resistance of the farmers’ community against the government’s plans to turn part of the Sinjajevo mountain into a training zone and weapons testing for NATO.
The documentary, carried out by Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomaziić, follows Gara’s everydayity, its special connection to the mountain, and its efforts to preserve a way of life that has been passed over generations.
The race became the main figure of protest against military plans after rising on a white horse, took the megaphone, and gave a speech to the community at a time when men were reluctant to speak.
Beyond the battle for pasture, the film also reveals its personal history, dealing with pain, survival, commitment to children, and the desire to live free.
No one determines my course in life. Freedom has no price, it’s one of Gara’s documentary messages.
It shows that the mountain is not just a source of life for him but a living being that gives him strength and cures his soul. She even says that she would be willing to sacrifice her life to protect her for future generations.
The documentary has received great attention at international festivals. At the beginning of this year, he won the Jury Grand Prix in the international documentary category at the Sundance Festival, as well as appreciated at other festivals.
An important development for the community was the annulment of plans to create a military area in the summer of 2025. For this reason, the authors decided to return the film to the celebration to include this victory moment.
Today, Gara sees the mountain as her castle, and her story has become a tale of women’s strength, of nature protection, and the right to choose lifestyle.
We also realized that their history has a mythologyic depth. And the race was always smart enough to say during the shooting: It’s not just my story. It’s the story of all women, said co-director Biljana Tutorov.
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Source Layer: Signal