The Diary - Dnevnik

[Nikola Knezevic]

Dugometražni dokumentarni film radnog naslova "The Diary - Dnevnik" donosi priču o čoveku srpske nacionalnosti koji je za vreme rata u Hrvatskoj odbio da uzme oružje u ruke. Nakon vojno-redarstvene operacije "Oluja", odbija da se pridruži koloni izbeglica i beži u nepristupačne šumske predele gde će provesti više od dve godine, boreći se sa okrutnom prirodom, glađu i samoćom, krijući se pritom od hrvatskih redarstvenika. Svoje doživljaje i iskustva tokom svojevrsne životne golgote, tokom koje je bio proglašem nestalim, zapisao je u dnevniku koji do danas ostaje jedinstveno svedočanstvo o čvrstini ljudske volje, dovitlljivosti i sposobnosti da se odupre najtežim životnim izazovima. Dnevnik ujedno predstavlja i tačku preokreta za koju se sumnja da je uticala na konačni ishod njegove životne priče. Postoji predpostavka da je autor dnevnika osim doživljaja iz divljine, u njemu zapisao i ono čemu je u danima operacije "Oluja" bio svedok - a poznato je da je tokom operacije i neposredno nakon nje, 40 osoba ubijeno i još toliko nestalo okolini sela u kojem je živeo. Autor dnevnika, vratio se u selo dve godine nakon prestanka sukoba. Godinu dana nakon povratka pronađen je mrtav ispred svoje kuće. Službeni nalaz govori da čovek koji je preživeo dve godine u surovoj divljini, umro od posledica smrzavanja. Misterija okružuje dnevnik do današnjeg dana jer u njemu nedostaju stranice. Ovu jedinstvenu i neispričanu priču pokušaćemo da odgonetnemo tokom narednog dokumentarnog filma.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-diary-documentary/x/14382772#/

Imagine a man during the one of bloodiest conflict in the last century, refusing to be exiled from his home, taking refuge from the enemy, in a cave, deep in the woods, surviving for two years in the wilderness. Living alone, deserted, high in the mountains, struggling for food, shelter and cruel weather conditions. During his painful venture into the wild, he was keeping the notes in a diary.  Presumed dead for more than a two years, until one day he decided to surrender and allowed to return to his home. Only year after, the man who survived the most challenging living circumstances, was found dead. The mystery begins here as well as the circumstances that are surrounding the diary. The diary which holds unique testimony about human ability to withstand the most daring conditions and something, maybe even more dangerous, his notes, describing what he might witnessed happening to those who stayed behind in a village at the foot of the mountain. Hear the compelling and untold story about survival, war and the mystery that surrounds the diary. The story about a man, who refused to take the take part in the war, refused to be exiled, refused to remain silent in diary that might have cost his life. The mystery should be unveiled and questions answered.

Documentary is following the notes from the diary of the man who spent more than two years in the cave deep in the woods of Croatian mountains hiding from Croatian military. In summer of 1995. at the peak of the armed conflicts in Former Yugoslavia, Croatian armed forces started large military operation "Storm" during  which more than 200000.00 ethnic  Serbs were forced to leave their homes.  Mirko Đaković, ethnic Serb from small Croatian village Oraovac, ordinary man who was refusing to take part in ongoing war between the Serbs and Croats, unlike the rest of his people did not join the large refugee convoy and headed with his wife and her child to woods instead. After a short time, his wife, a Muslim, took their grandchild and surrendered to the police. They were sent to her home town of Bihac, in north-east Bosnia.  Meanwhile, deep in the woods, Mirko spend 633 days in the wilderness, high in the mountains, struggling for food, shelter and cruel weather conditions. For more than two years he was missing and presumed dead.  During his days in the wilderness he was keeping the notes in the diary. After two years of struggling against the nature, he heard in January of 1997. that Croatia had agreed to amnesty all Serbs who took part in the 1991- 95 rebellion. Few months after, in April of 1997. he had surrendered to Croatian authorities, released afterwards and returned to his village. Almost year after, he was found dead in front of his house. The mystery begins here as well as the circumstances that are surrounding the diary. Few days before his was found dead, he called his sister in Serbia. During the phone call he mentioned in the diary about events he witnessed and claimed those are putting his life in jeopardy. In 1999., when his family returned from Serbia, they found the diary, but only  what is left of it. Most of the pages were torn out. Whether he witnessed the war crimes of Croatian forces against the people who stayed in the village remains a mystery until this day, yet a diary gives a unique testimony about human survival, untold war story and leaves a few unanswered questions which should be further investigated. Croatian Helsinki Committee reports that in the municipality of Donji Lapac (including village Oraovac) 40 people have been killed during and after military operation "Storm" and 40 were reported as missing. From 1996. to 1999. in Croatia, more than 50 ethnic Serbs were killed or died under suspicious circumstances, while police reports are claiming those were suicides or incidents. Until this day for most of this deaths nobody has been convicted.