97th academy awards shortlist | 2025
Nebojsa Slijepcevic
director: The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT SHORTLIST
Director: Nebojša Slijepčević
Producer: Daniel Pek
CAST
Dragan Micanovic
Goran Bogdan
Alexis Manenti
JAN, 13, 2025
February 27, 1993, Strpci, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A passenger train from Belgrade to Bar is stopped by paramilitary forces in an ethnic cleansing operation. As they haul off innocent civilians, only one man out of 500 passengers dares to stand up to them. This is the true story of a man who could not remain silent.
Hi Nebojša, thank you for talking to TNC. How does it feel to have The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent/Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti shortlisted for the 2025 Live Action Short Film?
It feels great. My 15-year-old self can’t stop smiling.
Have you been able to enjoy the process, or have nerves started to take over?
I have my family and new projects, which keep me grounded. I don’t have much time to think about the Oscars. But if we get nominated and end up going to the ceremony, I know I’ll become nervous. I am introvert, and whenever I have to attend an event like that, I prepare myself mentally for days.
What do you think it is about The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent/Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti that has connected with your audiences so much?
People recognize that this story, although set 30 years ago in Bosnia, is actually a universal one that could happen to any of us. My main character witnesses violence that is not directly aimed at him. He faces a choice: to ignore it or to intervene, risking his own safety. Both choices carry dire consequences. This is a situation we, as individuals, can relate to, and we can also project it onto society as a whole.
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent/Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti has had an incredible festival run, winning multiple awards, including the Palme d’Or—Best Short Film at Cannes. What has it meant to you both to get this recognition for your film?
For me personally, it means a lot. I feel like I no longer have to prove anything to anyone; I can just enjoy directing. Now, my appetite for making feature films has truly grown, and this award definitely makes the path toward that easier. But I'm also very happy that, thanks to these awards, a lot of people now know who Tomo Buzov is. He is a true hero, and he should be remembered. I believe that with this film we have succeeded in building a lasting monument to him.
Can you tell me how The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent/Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti came about? Did you know much about Tomo Buzov before you started making the film?
My producer, Daniel Pek, sent me a newspaper article about Tomo Buzov, the forgotten hero. At that time, I had never heard of Buzov or the Štrpci massacre. Daniel wanted us to make a short film about it, and we quickly agreed that it should focus on the silent witness to the massacre. I wrote the script fairly quickly, but it took us a couple of years to secure the financing.
Any apprehensions about making a film that would highlight the Štrpci massacre?
I felt a great responsibility toward the families of the victims. The first thing I did, even before starting the project, was locate Tomo Buzov's son, Darko Buzov. Only after he gave me his permission to make a film about his father did I begin writing the script.
How much flexibility did you allow yourself and your cast with your screenplay once you started shooting?
In a script, emotions should jump off the page, so when I write I try to make things a bit more obvious than they might need to be. The moment the actors entered the process we went through the entire script again, especially with Goran Bogdan. What the actors brought was a subtle yet important change in tone. While the script on paper was aggressive, once the actors came on board, we started trimming, cutting out unnecessary lines and reactions. For example, where the script says they yell, during filming they speak quietly. This is where the subtle nuance lies, and it makes a big difference in the final version of the film compared to the original version that existed on paper.

What was the message you wanted to convey with The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent/Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti, and do you think you achieved it?
I don’t believe in sending messages through films; I try to create films that provide an emotional experience and make people think. I leave it to the audience to draw their own messages from the film, or simply to store that experience in their emotional memory.
Now that you can be reflective, what would you say has been the most valuable lesson you’ve taken away from making The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent/Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti?
Every problem presents an opportunity to make things even better. One elderly actor, who was supposed to play one of the victims, fell ill the day before filming was set to start. We didn’t have time to find a replacement, so I had no choice but to completely change the scene and cut his role. Now, looking back, I realise that this change actually improved the film as a whole.
Have you always had a passion for filmmaking?
My parents had a small film projector, and my mom would play Charlie Chaplin films on the bedroom wall for us. It’s one of my earliest childhood memories. As long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by films, and by my teenage years, I was determined to make it my career.
Did you imagine Gangster of Love would become one of the biggest box office successes in Croatia?
Gangster of Love was my first feature documentary. It was the hardest film I’ve ever made, and because of that, it might be my dearest film to this day. For most of the production I was a one-man team — I was the cameraman, sound man, and director all in one. I spent three summers filming in an extremely hot and humid part of Croatia, and it was physically exhausting. But the end result was a very funny, warm, and emotional film, and people are still watching it today.
When working on a short film like this, and in such tight conditions as filming on a train, how important is the creative collaboration between you and your team?
For this film, I knew that the key person on set would be the director of photography. We had to work in a very tight space, with dozens of extras that needed to be precisely choreographed. To make things even more complicated, I had envisioned the film in long, continuous shots. We needed a DOP who was skilled and flexible, and Gregor Božić fit that description perfectly, adding a touch of artistic magic on top.
"I read over a thousand pages of documents, newspaper articles, and trial transcripts."
How much does your background directing documentaries and series help your approach to making The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent/Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti?
I approached the script as if it were a documentary. I read over a thousand pages of documents, newspaper articles, and trial transcripts. Although the film is fictional, everything is based on reality. Some of the dialogues in the film are copied directly from the firsthand testimonies of people who were on that train.
Do you have any tips or advice for future filmmakers?
Well, for me film directing is like driving on ice. You are sitting behind the wheel, but you don’t have full control. If you push the pedals too hard, you could end up in a ditch. But if you are gentle, smart, and respectful, you can steer yourself exactly where you want to go.
And finally, what do you hope your audiences will take away from The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent/Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti?
Every choice you make – even if that choice is to do nothing – has its consequences.