Golden Lion Winner Milcho Manchevski Talks ‘Giving a Voice’ to Pulse Nightclub Survivors With ‘Good People’: ‘Our Job Was to Stay Out of the Way’
Milcho Manchevski’s first full documentary, “Good People”, follows survivors of the 2025 Pulse nightclub fire in Kočani, North Macedonia, and will premiere in Sarajevo Film Festival’s documentary competition. The Oscar-nominated director says the film aims to preserve survivors’ unfiltered experiences after public discussion of the disaster became dominated by media coverage and political arguments.
The fire began when indoor-firework sparks reached the ceiling on 16 March 2025, killing 63 people and injuring 193 in the country’s deadliest fire. Investigators found the venue was unlicensed and breached safety rules, including inadequate exits and only one fire extinguisher; the case prompted anti-corruption protests and inspections that closed dozens of venues. Manchevski began filming a month later and adopted a restrained, minimalist approach, avoiding techniques he considers emotionally manipulative.
- “Good People” centres survivors of North Macedonia’s deadliest fire.
- The Pulse fire killed 63 people and injured 193.
- Manchevski avoids dramatic documentary techniques.
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The Pulse nightclub fire was a major disaster in Kočani, a town in North Macedonia, in March 2025. Sparks from indoor fireworks reached the ceiling during an event, causing a fire that killed 63 people and injured many others.
Investigators said the venue did not have the required licence and had serious safety problems, including too few exits. The disaster led to public anger, anti-corruption protests and wider checks of entertainment venues across the country.
Milcho Manchevski is a North Macedonian film director whose previous work has been recognised internationally, including with an Oscar nomination. His documentary focuses on people who survived the fire and their accounts of what happened.