After surviving a severe COVID-19, spending 21 days connected to a ventilator and ten days in an induced coma, filmmaker Branko Ištvančić returns to the border between life and death. Through his fragmented memories, childhood archives, dreams and encounters with the doctors and nurses who fought to save him, BARDO becomes a poetic journey through illness, memory, identity and rebirth. It is also a tribute to the healthcare workers who became the silent heroes of the pandemic, confronting death while struggling to preserve their own humanity.

The documentary features medical doctors, nurses, emergency medical professionals, and other healthcare workers who were involved in the filmmaker's treatment and the broader COVID-19 response. Additionally, the film includes members of the filmmaker's family, such as his brother and son, subject to their final participation and filming agreements.

“BARDO is my most personal film. During a ten-day coma caused by COVID-19, I experienced a profound interruption of consciousness. When I woke up, memories returned in fragments, often impossible to distinguish from dreams. That experience transformed my understanding of time, identity, and mortality. This film is not about illness but about what happens after survival. I use first-person narration, archival footage, and observational cinema to create a cinematic space where reality and inner experience coexist. My intention is to invite the audience into a contemplative journey that moves beyond autobiography toward a shared human experience”, director Branko Ištvančić told FNE.

The film will be shot primarily in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2026-2027.

Additional filming is planned in Tavankut and the surrounding Vojvodina region (Serbia), where the filmmaker's childhood, family history and personal archives form an important part of the film's narrative. The film will also incorporate Super 8 footage, photographs, VHS material and other personal archival materials.

Branko Ištvančić is producing through Croatia’s Artizana with the support of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) (60,000 EUR) and Zaklada Adris (own investments).

The estimated budget is 99,000 EUR.

The project is seeking development and production financing, including support from Croatian and European public funds, international coproduction partners, broadcasters and other documentary financing sources.

Among the key collaborators are Dr. Veljko Đorđević and Dr. Marijana Braš, with whom the director previously collaborated on the award-winning documentary Lessons in Humanity / Pouke o čovječnosti (produced by Artizana). Their professional experience and international involvement in the fields of medicine, psychiatry and mental health are important for the development of the film and its international perspective.

The project also envisages cooperation with medical professionals and institutions in Zagreb, including KBC Dubrava, KBC Zagreb, and the Clinic for Lung Diseases Jordanovac.

The current plan is to complete the film in 2028.

The film is intended for an international documentary festival premiere, followed by screenings at major documentary and regional festivals, television broadcasting and educational screenings. The initial festival strategy includes festivals such as IDFA, DOK Leipzig, Visions du Réel, Hot Docs, Sarajevo Film Festival and other relevant international documentary festivals. The final premiere strategy will be determined together with the future international coproduction and distribution partners.

Branko Ištvančić (1967) graduated in Film and Television Directing from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb in 1999. Deeply rooted in the Croatian documentary tradition, he has built a career spanning documentaries, short fiction, and feature films. His documentary Wellman received several awards, while The Cormorant Scarecrow established him as one of Croatia's notable documentary filmmakers. His feature The Ghost in the Swamp produced by Interfilm became one of the country's most successful domestic productions and contributed to the revival of Croatian children's cinema.

Production Information:

Producer:
Artizana (Croatia)
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Branko Ištvančić: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Credits:
Director: Branko Ištvančić
Screenwriter: Branko Ištvančić
DoP: Dario Hacek
Editor: Branko Ištvančić, Branko Vuković
Composer: Pere Ištvančić
Sound designer: Pere Ištvančić
Cast: Branko Ištvančić, Dr. Veljko Đorđević, Dr. Marijana Braš, Dr. Bruno Barišić, Dr. Ivica Lukšić, Dr. Maja Grba-Bujević, Dr. Ivan Radoš, Dr. Krešo Luetić