Oscar Contender ‘To Hold A Mountain’ To Open In Theaters In December Ahead Of HBO Debut
The Sundance-winning documentary *To Hold a Mountain* will open in US cinemas on 16 December, ahead of an HBO and HBO Max release in early 2027. Montenegro has selected the film as its candidate for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, and its cinema release gives audiences a chance to see the Oscar contender before its streaming debut.
Directed by Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić, the film follows Gara and her daughter Nada on Montenegro’s Sinjajevina plateau, where plans for a NATO-backed military training ground threaten their way of life and the protected landscape. The filmmakers spent eight years filming as Nada grew up; the documentary won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary and has also been shortlisted for the IDA Documentary Awards and European Film Awards.
In short
- *To Hold a Mountain* opens in US cinemas on 16 December.
- HBO and HBO Max will show it in early 2027.
- Montenegro chose it as its Academy Awards candidate.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the proposed training ground could argue that military facilities serve national and allied security needs, and that NATO-backed training may strengthen Montenegro’s defence and partnerships. They might also contend that governments must weigh local impacts against wider public responsibilities and can seek safeguards to limit environmental damage.
The case against
Opponents could argue that the plateau’s protected landscape and the community’s established way of life deserve strong protection, especially where military use could bring lasting environmental or social costs. They may also question whether the security benefits justify those costs when the plans affect residents such as Gara and Nada, whose experience the film documents.