How Biljana Čekić Became Popular on Both Sides of the Atlantic at the Age of 13

As a result, Biljana Čekić’s face appeared on television screens, news portals, social media feeds, and newspaper covers from Europe to America.

Following the film’s television premiere, which attracted millions of viewers, she received praise even from some of the harshest critics. This is her story.

The young girl from the village of Sreflije near Kozarska Dubica had no acting experience whatsoever. Pure talent alone helped her win the casting call for the lead role among more than 1,500 children.

“I was 11 years old when our school informed us about the casting and gave us forms that our parents had to sign if we wanted to participate in the selection process for the lead actress in Dara of Jasenovac. I took the form home for my father to sign. He asked me if I really wanted to do it. When I said yes, he signed it, and that’s how the story began,” Biljana Čekić revealed in an interview for HEDONIST magazine.

Editorial note: This article is part of the HEDONIST archive and was originally published in 2021 in the fourth print edition of the magazine.

Without expecting much, she advanced through round after round of auditions, with each new stage coming as a surprise. Her father, Radovan Čekić, recalls being completely overwhelmed when he received the news that Biljana had been selected for the leading role. Once he gathered himself, he informed his daughter.

“My father called me and shared the news that changed my life. The decision that I would play the lead role came several months after the final casting round, after which months of filming followed in Sombor and Bela Crkva,” Biljana told our magazine, adding that the cover of that issue of HEDONIST was the first magazine cover she had ever appeared on.

During the filming of Dara of Jasenovac, Biljana stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the biggest names in Serbian cinema, including Zlatan Vidović, Nikolina Friganović, Nataša Ninković, Anja Stanić, Vuk Kostić, Marko Janketić, and many others.

“The atmosphere on set was wonderful. We had fun, and everyone was incredibly kind to me. They all helped me and encouraged me,” Biljana says with a smile.

Although the film's subject matter is extremely difficult, every challenge placed before her was handled with remarkable professionalism and ease. The story was also deeply personal. Biljana had learned about the atrocities of the Jasenovac concentration camp from an early age, and nine members of her family were murdered there during World War II.

“Acting itself wasn’t the difficult part. The hardest challenge was emotionally going through everything that the story represents,” she explains.

Between filming sessions, spending time with fellow actors and child performers became one of the most memorable aspects of the experience.

“Many children from Republika Srpska, Serbia, and Montenegro participated in the film. We all spent time together, and the actors helped us get used to life on set. It was simply a beautiful atmosphere,” says the girl whom everyone began calling “Dara” after the television premiere.

The film was originally scheduled for release in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its premiere. At the beginning of 2021, when Dara of Jasenovac entered the race for the Academy Awards, numerous positive and negative reviews appeared in major American publications, while the popularity of the young actress from Kozarska Dubica skyrocketed.

“Journalists started calling me constantly. There were interviews, TV appearances, and children waiting outside my school asking for autographs. I enjoy it, and I’m grateful for it, but I promised my family that I would never let it go to my head,” she says.

Biljana admits she was disappointed that the pandemic prevented many festivals from taking place and that she was unable to travel to the United States for the premiere. Still, that did not diminish her happiness about the film’s success.

“I was incredibly nervous before the film premiered here, but all the praise that followed gave me confidence,” she says.

Today, she has a clear vision of what she wants for her future.

“My dream is acting. I would love for it to become my profession. I’m still in eighth grade and don’t yet know where I’ll continue my education, but I know I’ll do everything I can to follow that path. What matters most is that I have the unconditional support of my family,” she said.

Before Dara of Jasenovac, she had never attended acting classes or even participated in her school’s drama club. Simply put, talent alone was what secured her the leading role.

Apart from school, she does not currently have any major hobbies. Spending time with friends, her brother, and her sister occupies most of her free time. She also enjoys reading and has one particular wish that, given her remarkable debut success, may come true sooner rather than later.

“My biggest wish right now is to appear in a film alongside Miloš Biković. I absolutely adore him,” the young star of Dara of Jasenovac said with a smile.

A Talent Born Once Every Fifty Years

Film director Predrag Antonijević also spoke to HEDONIST magazine about Biljana’s extraordinary talent and the ease of working with her.

“She is an extraordinary talent, the kind that comes along once every fifty years. The only similar example we have had is Slavko Štimac, who displayed such remarkable talent as a child. She carried the entire film, not only on her shoulders but through her eyes, which conveyed everything,” Antonijević told HEDONIST.

Asked what Biljana was like during the interview process, he described her as a child from a wonderful family and a true revelation.

Perfection in Front of the Camera

The smiling young actress arrived at the HEDONIST editorial office accompanied by her father, and the sadness that had dominated her eyes throughout the film disappeared in an instant. Her face radiated happiness and pride in what she had achieved.

Then the photo session began.

For the camera, Biljana effortlessly transformed her expressions, revealing an impressive range of emotions. After the shoot, the HEDONIST team wanted a souvenir photograph with the new film star. While the rest of us tried to figure out how to pose in front of the lens, Biljana did it with complete ease and perfection—the same way she had performed in the film that made her known around the world.

• By Davorin Tomić / HEDONIST
• Originally published in HEDONIST Magazine, Issue 04, 2021.