In ‘Until the Day Ends,’ Two Serbs on Opposite Sides of a Deeply Divided Society Fall for Each Other (Exclusive Venice Trailer)
Serbian filmmaker Jelena Maksimović's debut feature, "Until the Day Ends" (Do Kraja Dana), will premiere in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival on 10 September, making her the first female Serbian director to bring a narrative feature to the festival's official selection since 1966. The film is a protest drama and love story set against the backdrop of Belgrade's anti-government student demonstrations, which erupted following the collapse of a railway station canopy in November 2024 that killed 16 people and triggered Serbia's largest wave of civil unrest in decades.
The story follows Lena, an anarchist student played by Lena Trifunović, and Stefan, a working-class youth with pro-government loyalist friends played by Andrija Krivokapić, who fall for each other despite being on opposing sides of a divided society. After a thrown stone hits a policeman and Stefan fears he is to blame, the pair flee Belgrade together, giving the film a road-movie element. The cast also includes Irina Hotomski, Stefan Tarabić and Miodrag Dragičević, with the screenplay co-written by Maksimović, Olga Dimitrijevic and Ivan Salatic; Heretic is handling sales, and The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively premiering a clip ahead of the Venice debut.
In short
- Serbian drama "Until the Day Ends" premieres at Venice on 10 September
- Story follows star-crossed lovers amid Belgrade's anti-government protests
- Director is first Serbian woman with a Venice narrative feature since 1966
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The romance can make a case for finding common ground across political divisions: Lena and Stefan’s relationship suggests that people should not be reduced to their protest positions or social circles. Against the backdrop of demonstrations over a deadly collapse, the film may also argue that personal connection and solidarity can endure amid public anger and fear.
The case against
A more cautious view is that a love story between people on opposing sides may make deep political and social divisions seem easier to bridge than they are. By centring the couple’s flight, the film may also risk shifting attention from the protesters’ demands and the questions of responsibility raised by the collapse.
Explained simply
Serbia is a country in south-eastern Europe, and Belgrade is its capital. In November 2024, a railway station canopy collapsed, killing 16 people; the disaster prompted large student-led protests against the government.
The film follows Lena, an anarchist student involved in the protests, and Stefan, a working-class young man whose friends support the government. Their relationship brings together people on opposing sides of the unrest, against a backdrop of public anger and political division.
Entertainment Film Government Politics