Kino klub Sisak has secured financial support from the Croatian Ministry of Veterans of the Republic of Croatia in the amount of 25,000 euros for the film project “Battle for Petrinja”. It is a war and romance drama based on real events from the Homeland War.
The film tells the story of the fall, occupation and liberation of Petrinja through the fates of several characters, covering the period from 1991 to 1995. At the heart of the story are young people whose lives are fundamentally changed by the war, confronting them with loss, fear, difficult decisions and the struggle for survival.
The characters of Katarina and Tomo occupy a special place in the narrative. Katarina is a 16-year-old girl who experiences shelling and captivity in the city, while Tomo is a young man who joins the defence of Petrinja. Their fates intertwine again in the finale, during Operation Storm and the liberation of Petrinja.
The directorial concept is based on a realistic and emotionally restrained approach, emphasising the human experience, intimate stories, moral dilemmas and daily life marked by war. A documentary camera approach, natural light, a muted colour palette and carefully shaped sound are intended to bring the atmosphere and emotional weight of the events closer to the audience.
The project author is Vid Bešlić, born in Petrinja, an actor, poet and filmmaker. After completing the Language Gymnasium in Sisak and musical education, he enrolled in the acting programme at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb in 2021, which he completed in 2025. He is the recipient of the Goranovo proljeće award for young poets in 2023, and has worked with Kino klub Sisak and the Interpretive Centre of the Heritage of Banovina.
The project is being implemented with financial support from the Ministry of Veterans in the amount of 25,000 euros, with a planned duration of implementation until the end of 2027.
