Television Premiere of "Heroes of Halyard"

About the Film

At the end of World War II, in the spring of 1944, the largest single rescue operation of American and Allied pilots in the history of world aviation, known as "Operation Halyard" took place in a Serbian village. This is the story of the Jovic brothers and their family, torn apart by opposing ideologies. While Mirko fights with the Yugoslav Army in the homeland, Sreten joins the partisans, and the youngest brother, Ilija, is caught between the two sides. Their personal, tragic fates represent the paradigm of the Serbian national tragedy - brother against brother, and ideological divisions that led an entire nation into despair. Part of the film also delves into a romantic subplot, where a girl named Radmila falls in love with one of the American pilots.

"Heroes of Halyard" tells an untold story about the tragedy of a time, about heroism and hopelessness, friendship, sacrifice, nobility, love, and kindness. It has all the elements of a war spectacle but remains a family drama at its core. Given that films with historical content face the challenge of balancing creativity with historical accuracy, director and screenwriter Rados Bajic had a big challenge.

Word from the Director

Rados Bajic worked on this project for five years with great dedication. “This is the most ambitious project, in terms of both theme and scope, that I have worked on in my nearly fifty-year career - both in terms of production and creativity. While working on the film, I was deeply drawn to the monumental nature of Operation Halyard amidst the collective misfortune of a nation and the horrors of war, but even more so to the personal dramas within a Serbian rural family. I believe this film will be the pinnacle of my career.” Rados stated.

International Recognition

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Telekom Serbia, “Heroes of Halyard” will be the only Serbian film to be broadcast on national television in the People’s Republic of China this fall, where it will be viewed by 300 million people at once. In recent months, the film has been screened at numerous festivals (in Tallinn, Moscow, Tula, Chicago, Sydney…), earning several first-place awards. A special moment in the film's global success was a screening held in early March at the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill, attended by distinguished guests from the American cultural and public sectors. Additionally, the production team has signed a contract with a prestigious distribution company based in Los Angeles, securing distribution and screenings of the film across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This holds great significance for our cinema and culture.

The Cast

The film features performances by: Petar Bozovic, Zarko Lausevic, Nela Mihailovic, Radovan Vujovic, Nikola Rakocevic, Vucic Perovic, Milan Vasic, Aleksandar Djurica, Isidora Minic, Jovo Maksic, Ivan Vuckovic, Nenad Herakovic, Ljiljana Blagojevic, Djordje Markovic... Alongside actors from Serbia and the region, the cast also includes a large number of international actors from English-speaking countries, such as Steven Moore, Adam Davenport, Jadran Malkovich, and others.

You can watch the television premiere of the film on our platform, on RTS1 tv channel, on Saturday, September 21, at 9:00 PM. Subscribe to our website and enjoy this epic war drama.