PRODUCTION BEGINS ON FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY ABOUT SAINT SAVA

The production company Optimistic Film, with the blessing of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church and in cooperation with the brotherhood of the Hilandar Monastery, has officially launched a new project — a feature-length documentary and series titled “Saint Sava.”

PHOTO: Ognjen Milović

Filming has already been completed on Mount Athos at key monastic sites including Hilandar, Vatopedi, Stari Rusik, the Paterica cell, and other locations closely tied to the life and spiritual mission of Saint Sava.

Exclusive interviews were conducted with the abbots of the Hilandar and Vatopedi monasteries, as well as monks from Stari Rusik, Hilandar, and Paterica. Extensive footage was captured using drones, gimbals, and multi-camera setups across all monasteries involved.

To bring the project to full realization with historical accuracy and depth, additional filming is planned in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Mount Athos, Jerusalem, Turkey, Mount Sinai, Bulgaria, and the United States.

The initiative for the project came from Dr. Nenad Janićijević, a Serbian patriot based in Pittsburgh, who is known for organizing a donation of $200 million in medicines and medical supplies during the 1990s. His father was an Orthodox priest in Vranovo, near Smederevo. Together with Miloš Kosta Papić from the U.S., Dr. Janićijević provided the initial funding and invited acclaimed director Dr. Željko Mirković to lead the production, recognizing his previous achievements.

Dr. Željko Mirković is an internationally awarded documentary filmmaker whose works have garnered 131 international awards and two Oscar qualifications for his films “Tesla Nation” and “The Second Meeting.” He currently teaches documentary filmmaking at the University of Connecticut in the United States.

"The story of Saint Sava is not only about our faith, state, and people, but also about a vision deeply embedded in the DNA of Serbs—wherever they live around the world, and wherever they have lived throughout the centuries," said Dr. Mirković.

"This documentary and series come at a time of great global challenges and serve as a foundation for preserving our identity and as a guide for present and future generations. This is a story of faith and strength—faith that lives as part of our being, with Saint Sava as its beacon."

The film also seeks to explore the spiritual magnitude of Saint Sava, who was seen as such a powerful symbol that the mighty Ottoman Empire deemed it necessary to burn his remains three and a half centuries after his passing.

"Doesn’t that show us that they still saw him as alive, even though they weren’t believers or Christians?" said Hilandar’s abbot, Metodije.

"You can’t fully comprehend such a spiritual figure without understanding the divine grace that made him so great. That grace is not limited by space or matter—it is ever-present. As the Lord said, the Kingdom of God is not somewhere outside—it is within you."

Dr. Nenad Janićijević, the film’s patron, added:

"I come from America to this holy place, Hilandar, where more than eight centuries ago Saint Sava received God’s blessing to become the spiritual father of the Serbian Orthodox Church and people.

Not only was he a spiritual leader, but also a unifier and educator. Wherever Serbs live today, Saint Sava travels with them—through history, the present, and the future. He is the guiding light of unity for our nation and church.

Just as he reconciled his own brothers by bringing the body of Saint Simeon, his father, today his spirit continues to unite Serbs across all regions of the world as we celebrate his name."

The documentary “Saint Sava” is currently in production and aims to reach a global audience, connecting faith, history, and national identity through the life and legacy of one of the most revered figures in Serbian history.