I watched the Serbian series “State Official” over the course of last week. The first three seasons. The series was created jointly by Gaga Antonijevic and Dimitrije Vojnov. Gaga Antonijevic is the guy who now supports Vucic and whom Bjelogrlic knocked out in some café or hotel, with the footage later finding its way into the public domain. Vojnov is the chubby guy from the film “Tito and Me”, and is also a friend of Danilo Beckovic and Bojan Baca. He was actively involved online during the whole religious processions situation, tearing into the out-of-touch Montenegrin government, only to start cleverly playing his cards in Belgrade now. Something along the lines of Bazdulj and Djuro RadoDajkovic.
But Vojnov and Gaga Antonijevic are not just that. They are capable and intelligent people. Gaga has been active in the United States for a long time as a screenwriter and producer. If you remember the 1998 Serbian film “The Savior”, which was partly filmed in Montenegro and ends at the lighthouse on Slovenska Beach, that is his flagship work. He also had considerable success in America and worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest names. The writing team also includes the state-approved writer Vladimir Kecmanovic, the son of my professor Nenad Kecmanovic, a member of the Senate of the Serb Republic.
This team of state and quasi-state officials made a good series. The lead role is played by Milan Maric, an actor of the younger generation known for his liberal views. The cast is excellent. From Dugalic, through the late Zarko Lausevic, to Jezdic, who belongs to that same state-nationalist crowd but is a good actor, to Budva-born Marta Bjelica, and finally to the state historian Bogojevic, with his plucked eyebrows, who plays the commander of the SAJ special police unit in a caricatured manner.
The series is a spy thriller. It is quite well made technically, with topical themes and an up-to-date global political context. The first season serves us the story of how cynical the world is, and how Serbia somehow manages to rub everyone the wrong way in that kind of world. Kosovo is unavoidable, as is the negative and caricatured portrayal of Albanians and Bosniaks from Sandzak, who are tempted to “return to the faith of their forefathers.” Although the character of Puzovic looks more like one of our Ulcinj locals than a goldsmith from Tutin.
But everything is done very subtly. There is an extremely right-wing party being pushed by both America and Russia. There is also a Serbian version of Cambridge Analytica, along with loose ends from the old SFRY intelligence service. There is something for everyone. The service itself comes across as modern and non-politicised, albeit chaotic, but romantically well-meaning. Pretty much exactly how the BIA would probably like to see itself.
Still, things are not quite so innocent in real life. BIA came into being through reforms following Milosevic’s fall. Structurally, it was removed from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and established as a separate legal entity. It combines domestic counterintelligence with foreign intelligence operations. On top of that, it has certain police powers. Yet it is deeply politically controlled. Especially over the past thirteen or so years, since Vucic came to power. It was initially headed for a short time by the current ambassador in Podgorica, Rodic, who had been Tomislav Nikolic’s secretary. He is a state bureaucrat close to that old regime. The guy who wears a bow tie and round glasses. He was secretary of the Republican Electoral Commission during the legendary 1997 elections. Then the service was taken over by Bata Gasic, Vulin, and now Orlic. None of that appears in the series. Nor does organised crime, which has been eating away at the service for years and which has controlled its armed unit.
A five-man team constantly dealing with operations, forever out in the field, meeting with everyone and everyone meeting with them, enjoying autonomy and working in the interests of the state. A naïve story, but that is the genre.
In any case, for us, as a country toward which BIA behaves in a hostile and predatory manner, it should be a priority to watch this and see how they want to present themselves. Because the manipulation on social media that they were talking about back in 2019 and 2020, along with all the other habits and reflexes portrayed in this series, are not to be dismissed. NATO allies should watch the series as well, to see what narratives about them and their intelligence services are being packaged for mass consumption in Serbia.
(Columnists’ opinions and views do not necessarily reflect those of the CdM editorial board)