her
oes
of
rock
When we wanted a challenge… We took a bigger bite… And produced a real movie!
The movie“ Heroes of rock,” the first feature-length rock film from Rijeka, premiered at the 69th Pula Film Festival in 2022, where it won the hearts of the audience with its dramatic and comedic script. The film was co-financed by the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the City of Rijeka and was included in the public cultural needs for 2021 and 2022. The Rijeka premiere took place on September 22, 2022, at the Art Cinema in Rijeka. After more than 20 screenings in Croatia, the film was also shown abroad – in France, Italy, Bolivia (where it won awards for best film and editing), and in Belgrade, proving that enthusiasm, energy, and will can achieve great things in the art of filmmaking.
The film’s synopsis takes us to Rijeka in the late 1970s, where an amateur rock band is formed. Denis, the keyboardist who is struggling with trauma, and his sister Miranda, who refuses to accept his poor mental state, assemble the band through auditions. Throughout the story, Denis realizes the importance of new people in his life, as the band writes an original song and experiences first loves. However, dissatisfaction arises when the lead vocalist, Željko, expresses discontent with Denis leading the band.
The inspiration for the film comes from the rock subculture of Rijeka and the life of the young generations of the 1970s, serving as an ode to the Rijeka music scene of that era. Through the story of the band, the film’s author explores his own growing up and captures a moment in the past, driven by the desire to tell a story to ordinary people, those trapped in ambitious cinematic dreams. The heroes of “Yunaci Rocka” are not stars; they are true Rijekans who, through their encounters in the film, depict Rijeka as a multicultural, rock city, different from others, creating the beauty of transience and highlighting the uniqueness of our port of diversity.
Being a part of this film from the very beginning was an immense honor and indescribable pleasure for us. As executive producers, it was inspiring to create something completely new and unseen, a step in the film industry that we had only observed on screens until now, and now we have become its creators. The film not only featured talented actors from Rijeka but also gave us the opportunity to see our team member Nita in an acting role, while our book “DISASTER – Diagnosis of Modern Business” also appears as part of the film’s story. We owe special thanks to Ana Zoričić, who is responsible for translating the film into English. We are grateful to everyone who was part of this unforgettable journey and contributed to the creation of this extraordinary Rijeka film story, which has already captured the hearts of many viewers in Croatia and beyond.
