Academy Award nominee John Malkovich has a new role and this time he is not playing a character. He is playing himself and more specifically himself as a very proud Croatian.
In the new cinematic tourism film CROATIA I Hear It Is Beautiful, Malkovich steps into the spotlight to show off the country that quite literally runs in his veins. The timing could not be better. He recently received Croatian citizenship, and the project feels like a quiet on screen homecoming. No elaborate costume, no invented persona just a famous face leaning fully into his heritage.
Directed by Croatian American creative director and Emmy winner Pete Radovich, the six minute film feels more like a short than an ad. It’s slow but in the best way – intimate, thoughtful and clearly made by people who know Croatia.
Malkovich narrates in that unmistakable voice looping back to the line, “I hear it is beautiful”, like a refrain. It is part tease, part invitation. You get the sense he already knows you will be looking up flights by the time the credits roll.
What really hooks travel lovers though is the way the film sweeps across the country from the coast to the interior. It opens in Trogir where stone streets and waterfront promenades set the tone. From there you catch flashes of Zagreb Airport and the city center that mix Central European café culture with a modern capital vibe.
Down on the Adriatic, Dubrovnik appears in all its walled city glory but framed more as a living town than just a Game of Thrones backdrop. Split and its lively Voćni Square add that busy Mediterranean energy people watching over coffee and glasses of local wine.
Šibenik steps in with its fortress topped skyline and a stop at St Nicholas Fortress reminds you this coastline has always been strategic as well as beautiful. Nearby Kornati National Park spreads out in a scatter of islands and rocks in almost surreal blue water while Krka National Park brings waterfalls and river canyons into the mix. Visovac Island, tiny and serene in the middle of Krka’s waters, feels like a secret someone has just let you in on.
The film does not forget continental Croatia either. Velebit Nature Park shows off rugged mountain scenery that surprises anyone who thought the country was only about beaches. Zadar makes an appearance with its sunsets and sea facing promenade. Pula rounds things out with Roman ruins and a massive arena that drops a bit of ancient history into this modern road movie.
Radovich stitches all of this together with a light hand – a church bell in the distance, a fisherman mending his nets, a quiet square in a hilltop town. You are never stuck in a lecture about history yet you feel the layers everywhere. It is destination marketing that trusts the audience and lets the country do most of the talking.
For travelers who have already sailed the Dalmatian Coast or wandered Split’s alleys the film feels like recognition. For anyone still defaulting to Paris, London and Rome, it’s a gentle nudge to look a little farther east and south.
At just over six minutes CROATIA I Hear It Is Beautiful is an easy watch and a smart way to shake up your wish list. You can see the full version here
Watch it once and don’t be surprised if you find yourself typing Split, Dubrovnik or Istria into your search bar afterward.
