Goran Stanković’s film ‘Oče naš’ explores violence in addiction treatment

Director Goran Stanković’s debut feature film, ‘Oče naš’ (Our Father), is undergoing a theatrical release in Croatia following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The psychological drama and thriller is inspired by a real-life scandal from over a decade ago involving the brutal punishment of patients at an addiction treatment center linked to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The film follows a young man named Dejan who enters a monastic commune for addiction treatment, only to encounter a system defined by fear, power, and violence. Stanković noted that his interest lay in the psychological mechanisms of how violence becomes normalized and how vulnerable individuals can simultaneously be victims of a system while finding value in it.

Actor Vučić Perović won the Golden Arena for Best Actor in Pula for his performance in the film. The movie is scheduled for screenings in several Croatian cities, including Rijeka, Osijek, Zadar, Split, and Zagreb.