Komarnica follows a journey into one of Montenegro’s most spectacular and least explored river canyons. Beneath its limestone walls, scientists search caves, forests and riverbanks for species that may exist nowhere else on Earth, while local conservationists continue their fight to protect the canyon from hydropower development. The film brings together field biology, intimate human testimony and cinematic natural history to reveal the Komarnica not as an empty landscape, but as a living system shaped by water, geology, memory and biodiversity. Through the work of researchers and local defenders, Komarnica becomes a portrait of a river at a turning point: a place still full of mystery, beauty and scientific value, but also one whose future remains uncertain.

Filmmaker details: Roman Willi

Roman is an award-winning wildlife filmmaker and photographer from Lucerne, Switzerland. Holds Bachelor of Science (FHGR & BFH) in Media Engineering, specializing in film and animation.Before becoming self-employed in 2022 and founding WildReach Productions GmbH in early 2024, spent several years working in television. Today, develops independent wildlifedocumentaries and photography projects worldwide.
Roman also hosts exhibitions, deliver talks, and lead workshops. His work has earned international recognition, with multiple awards , including two Highly Commended honors at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and features on National Geographic and BBC.
Is a member of the InternationalLeague Of Conservation Photographers. His debut documentary, KALU: Growing Up Wild (2023), was followed by Sandcastle: The SecretLife of Potter Wasps (2024) and Heart of the Osa (2024), all of which have received recognition atfilm festivals worldwide.
In early 2025, Roman released his latest short film, The Leap Beneath , narrated by Coyote Peterson of Brave Wilderness. On World Bee Day 2025, Swiss Tourism launched its latest campaign, for which Roman served as the wildlife DP. In 2026, the short film Risky Routes onamphibian migration will be released, where he worked as the main DP. The film has already wonseveral awards, including the Grand Prize at Bloomberg Green Docs 2025. Another short film, Komarnica: A Case For The River , set in a canyon in Montenegro, is also scheduled for release in2026. Currently, he is working as a cinematographer on several feature documentaries for broadcast,further establishing himself as a leading voice in wildlife storytelling. Ethics are very important tome when photographing & filming wildlife. The health and wellbeing of the animal always comes first.