The film 'Jezik na smrt' ('Language to Death') by director Dražen Bušić starts shooting on August 18 at authentic locations in Pakrac and Lipik, addressing one of the most challenging unresolved issues of the Homeland War in western Slavonia.
After 35 years, Croatia still does not know where the remains of Dr. Ivan Šreter, a Croatian physician and peacemaker abducted on August 18, 1991, are. Exactly on the anniversary of his disappearance, August 18, 2026, director Dražen Bušić will begin shooting the 30-minute feature film 'Jezik na smrt' ('Language to Death'), dedicated to Šreter's abduction and his final days in captivity, as reported by Narodno.hr.
Actor Boris Svrtan plays Dr. Ivan Šreter, and filming will take place at authentic locations in the Pakrac and Lipik areas. Croatian state sources indicate that Šreter was detained and tortured, but his remains have still not been located.
A particularly difficult aspect of the case involves the attempted prisoner exchange. According to the account of Slavko Degoricija, a Croatian official at the time, published in the book 'Nije bilo uzalud' ('It Was Not in Vain'), an agreement was reached with Milorad Pupovac under which the Croatian side would release two Serbian physicians arrested in Sisak, and Pupovac would in return help secure Šreter's release.
The physicians were released, but Šreter did not return. This situation has raised political and social questions for years, yet no one has been legally convicted for the failure of that exchange. As Narodno.hr notes, this case demands precision because there are documented facts, testimonies, and interpretations of responsibility.
The filmmakers state that the project is currently self-funded, as some state institutions have not provided support. Institutions from Lipik and Pakrac are offering logistical assistance, while the Požega-Slavonia and Brod-Posavina counties and the Croatian Medical Chamber are expected to co-finance part of the post-production costs. A decision from the Ministry of Croatian Veterans is still pending.
"Dr. Šreter and the truth about him cannot wait another day," Bušić said.
The film could bring Šreter's name back into the public eye, but after 35 years, a film alone is not enough for Croatia. What is needed is an answer about where the man who disappeared in 1991 ended up and why his family and the state still do not have that answer.
