Blum - Gospodari svoje buducnosti

BLUM – MASTERS OF THEIR OWN DESTINY follows Emerik Blum, born in Sarajevo to a Hungarian Jewish family, who studied electrical engineering in Prague and survived the Ustaša concentration camps during the Second World War. The documentary traces the life of an extraordinary engineer, entrepreneur and public figure whose experiences shaped his vision of work, responsibility and society. After the war, Blum became the founding director of Energoinvest. Under his leadership, the company grew from just 70 employees into one of Yugoslavia's largest engineering corporations, employing more than 42,000 people and operating internationally. His approach combined technological innovation, economic success and the Yugoslav model of worker self-management. Drawing on archival footage and contemporary interviews, the film portrays Blum as both a visionary industrialist and a pragmatic humanist. It explores how economic efficiency, social welfare and international cooperation could coexist through worker participation, housing, healthcare and education, offering a portrait of a business philosophy rarely seen today. Directed by Jasmila Žbanić, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker behind Grbavica and Quo Vadis, Aida?, BLUM – MASTERS OF THEIR OWN DESTINY premiered in Sarajevo in 2024 before its international premiere at MoMA Doc Fortnight and subsequent screenings at festivals including ZagrebDox. More than a biography, it is a reflection on leadership, solidarity and the possibilities of a different economic future.