Croatia’s largest historical production takes shape – Diocletian on film

(Diocles/HRT)

HRT has completed filming one of its most ambitious historical projects yet, a large-scale undertaking centred on Emperor Diocletian, the man many consider the most influential historical figure to emerge from this region.

The project, simply titled “Dioklecijan”, consists of two separate works: the feature film “Diocles” and a five-part documentary-drama series, “Prvi Splićanin”.

A Feature Film Entirely in Colloquial Latin

The first release, “Diocles”, is set for cinema distribution in 2026. Uniquely, the entire film is performed in colloquial Latin, the everyday language spoken in the late 3rd-century Roman Empire, rather than the classical Latin familiar from textbooks.

Structured non-linearly, the story moves between Diocletian’s youth, his rise to power between 284 and 286, and the final years of his life.

Lead actor Amar Bukvić, who plays Diocletian, told HRT the role as a major responsibility but also a creative freedom, given the absence of archival material on the emperor.

Croatia’s Most Extensive Film Set Ever Built

“Diocles” is a 100% HRT production and the first Croatian project of this scale. Because almost no original structures from Diocletian’s era survive beyond parts of Split’s palace, the team built a vast array of reconstructed environments, the largest scenographic effort in Croatian filmmaking.

Sets include a full Forum Romanum, the forum of ancient Salona, major sections of the Colosseum and Salona arena, two reconstructed streets, a life-size interior of the Roman Senate, imperial halls (one complete with a pool), patrician residences, military camps, parts of Palatine Hill, the imperial court in Mediolanum, Diocletian’s work chamber, and many more interiors.

Costume design was equally demanding, with around 5,000 garments created specifically for the production.

Alongside the feature film, HRT is producing “Prvi Splićanin”, a documentary-drama hybrid hosted and narrated by Mladen Badovinac.

The five one-hour episodes combine historical explanation with dramatized scenes, aiming to present Diocletian’s world in an accessible and visually engaging way.

Why Diocletian?

Director, writer and composer Božidar Domagoj Burić emphasised that Diocletian, believed to be born near today’s Solin, was “probably the most important person ever to come from these lands”. He noted that the emperor effectively saved the Roman Empire from collapse, making his story essential to Croatian cultural heritage.

Bukvić added that playing Diocletian across all stages of life, from youth to old age,  demanded a complex emotional and physical transformation. Mastering Latin proved one of the greatest challenges for the cast.

Burić praised the performances of Croatian actors, calling them “world-class, and in many ways above that level”.