Roj (The Swarm). 1966. Yugoslavia. Directed by Miodrag Popović. Written by Popović, Srboljub Stankovic, Borislav Mihajlovic-Mihiz. With Mira Stupica, Rade Markovic, Svetolik Nikacevic. In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles. DCP. 90 min.
Set in 1804 during the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire, painter, writer, and filmmaker Miodrag Mića Popović’s The Swarm follows the trial of a woman accused of betraying her husband to the Turks. Family matriarch Stojanka (Mira Stupica) is silent as the court, observed by the local population, brings forth a series of witnesses to make sense of the events that culminated in the murder of her husband, the rebel Nikola (Danilo Stojković), at the hands of a Turkish vassal (Bekim Fehmiu). As Stojanka’s relationship with her daughter-in-law, the young and beautiful Ljubica (Olivera Katarina), comes to light, the film reveals the power of female agency in a patriarchal society. Told through a nonlinear narrative and bolstered by an aesthetic sensibility reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman and František Vláčil, The Swarm is a courtroom drama like no other, offering rare and compelling insight into a key chapter in modern European history. A tale of intrigue, deception, and sacrifice—and a testament to the role of women in the rebirth of a nation—The Swarm is a landmark film of the Yugoslav Black Wave.