Balkan history is a burden for Serbian actors, says Nikola Rakočević
Portraying real people or true events can be a thankless task for any actor or director.
With its chequered past and a cast of characters both loved and loathed, it can be especially troublesome in the Balkans.
Acclaimed Serbian actor Nikola Rakočević knows full well the burden of responsibility that such roles present.
His credits span recent history, with lead roles in stage and screen portrals of the trial of Gavrilo Princip, the murder of Srdjan Aleksić, the plight of Serbia’s Slovenian war refugees and the grip of Belgrade’s neo-nazi football hooligans.
“I feel great responsibility for the movies I make, especially when playing real people or real events,’ said Nikola. “It is then even more important not to mess up. It is one of the things that makes me think really seriously when choosing my movies or theatre roles.”
Energy, charisma and range place Serbian Nikola Rakočević among Europe’s finest actors
Hailed by industry experts as a leading talent of European cinema, Serbian actor Nikola Rakocevic can count himself among the ranks of World-leading European actors.
As well as enjoying success as one of the Balkan’s foremost young actors with lead roles in acclaimed Serbian films including Circles/Krugovi (2013), Skinning/Šišanje (2010) and The Man Who Defended Gavrilo Princip/Branio sam Mladu Bosnu (2014), Nikola has attracted international interest.
In recent months, cinema audiences have seen this actor from central Serbia extend his repertoire with his first English-language role in Travelator (2014) from director Dušan Milić.
Nikola’s latest film The Sky Above Us from first-time Dutch director Marinus Groothof premiered at Rotterdam’s International Film Festival, last month.
