The esteemed project “Marija,” developed by United Media, has earned its place among the elite seven finalists in the Digital Drama Pitch 2024, orchestrated by the prestigious international company C21.

The C21 Digital Drama Pitch 2024 was born out of the high standard of entries received for the Content London Drama Series Pitch 2023. From more than 150 submissions from 37 countries, 10 projects were selected to pitch live at Content London 2023. A further seven projects were then chosen to create the Digital Drama Pitch 2024.

The seven shortlisted shows featured early-stage drama and comedy projects spanning Australia, Finland, Georgia, Lebanon, Iceland, Serbia and Bulgaria. The winning pitch will be announced in March.

The series “Marija” is based on the true story of Marija Lukić. A young Marija, happily married with two sons, struggles to find employment in a small town in Serbia. When she secures a job at the local Council through her father’s school friend Milan, she believes her luck has turned. However, her world is shattered when Milan, the town mayor and her boss, sexually assaults her and threatens to ruin her and her family if she speaks out.

“We believe that stories like Marija’s happen everywhere, but often go unnoticed. She has shown incredible strength in facing violence within the conditions she lives in and has already become an inspiration to many women familiar with her story. We are confident that she will inspire many others who watch the series. We truly believe in its success,” emphasized Tatjana Pavlovic, Director of Original Content Sales and Co-production at United Media, the series’ producer.

The series creator and screenwriter, Heidi Baletić, shared her approach: “As Marija’s story was already known from the media, I wanted to find a fresh and exciting way to tell it. So, each episode is narrated from a different character’s perspective – the first episode from the mayor’s point of view, then from Marija’s husband, followed by a journalist, and also a woman who helped bring the story to light and supported Marija throughout the trial. The final episode is told from Marija’s perspective”.

United Media boasts an impressive catalogue of top-tier content – encompassing over 40 series and movies in our format library, distributed in more than 30 countries worldwide. The “Marija” project exemplifies our dedication to producing high-quality content that resonates with audiences globally.