Filmmaker Kusturica receives Serbian Church accolade

Filmmaker Kusturica receives Serbian Church accolade

Amfilohije said that Nemanja (the name Kusturica received at his baptism) was recognized in this way for "improving Orthodox film art," and as "the carrier of the great truth that art and beauty will save the world."

"I express my deep respect toward our Church, our saints, especially at a time when Orthodoxy and the Christian culture are in the firing line and when Christianity is going through difficulties in the Middle East and many places on the planet," Kusturica said.

He also noted it was important that an international festival of Orthodox films was taking place "at a time when film is dying."

He was referring to a festival held in Podgorica, Niksic and Berane, where Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov has been announced as a participant.

"Since we are representatives of the heritage of the Christian culture, not only of the religion, it's good to renew the kind of experience called film, which was barely able to breathe during the past century under the weight of technology, and is now practically disappearing. I think that festivals are precisely the place where films will spring back to life," Kustirica said.

Kusturica arrived at Ostrog in the company of members of the Night Wolves, the world's largest motorcycle club, Tanjug reported.