Macedonian filmmaker Milcho Manchevski, whose acclaimed 1994 debut “Before the Rain” won the Venice Golden Lion and earned an Oscar nomination, has completed his first documentary feature. The project emerged from the devastating nightclub fire that claimed 63 lives in Kočani, North Macedonia in March 2025, making it the deadliest fire in the nation’s history. Investigation revealed the unlicensed venue lacked proper safety measures, including adequate emergency exits and functioning fire extinguishers.
Titled “Good People,” the documentary premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival and centers on survivor testimonies. Manchevski explained that he felt compelled to create the film because media coverage became overshadowed by political scandal and corruption allegations rather than focusing on victims’ authentic experiences. He began filming just one month after the tragedy to capture survivors’ voices before their narratives were further distorted by external interests.
The director deliberately adopted a minimalist approach to avoid manipulative filmmaking techniques. All interviews feature participants against black backgrounds with no archival footage from the incident, forcing viewers into direct confrontation with survivors’ words and faces. Manchevski faced significant obstacles during production, claiming he was blacklisted by Macedonia’s Film Agency, forcing him to self-finance the project entirely. He pledges that all proceeds will benefit survivors in Kočani.
Originally reported by Variety →
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