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Serbia, Slovenia or any other ex-Yugoslavian country, self-appointed promoters of diversity and multiculturalism, are mostly working with ‘ex-brothers’. The alternative scene was the first to rebuild strong cultural bonds between the nations of ex-Yugoslavia; the bravest activists had already done that during war years, others followed some years later. Sociologists, psychologists, journalists from the area are not unanimous as to if, why and how the new Yugoslavia is built. But what they never fail to mention in their articles or speeches are young people, traveling from one republic to another, the rebirth of old Yugoslav iconography and newly formed meanings, rich cultural and educational interchanges. Slovenians especially, entering the European Union in 2004, gained new opportunities and links to the west as well as to the east. Those connections are, due to well developed bureaucracy and funding, sometimes even easier to establish than the ones with the former community. However, no result or success coming out of those connections is wrapped in such emotional reaction and superlatives as the successful common actions and initiatives, emerging from the united powers of ex-Yugoslavs. And where else except in ex-Yugoslavia can you, regardless of which year or country you were born in, hear people all over the place at any time and opportunity, sing the golden oldie: Ma bas je dobro, vidjeti te opet, staviti ruke na tvoja ramena. Kao nekad, poljubi me njezno, za ona, dobra, dobra, dobra stara vremena. – ‘It’s so very nice to see you again and to hold you. Kiss me gently, like you used to, for the sake of good, good, good old times. >
Jernej Verbic is a journalist from Slovenia, covering internal politics for the biggest commercial television in the country – POP TV. During his university years, he was an active member of the Forum for European Journalism Students, now he spends his free time helping several NGOs in Slovenia.
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Thoughts
on Balkan Films By Alice Darzentas
They are silent, different from the Hollywood hot style that audiences so easily go for, they sometimes even go unnoticed, but these little treasures are worth a peek or two. Whereas for other films you declare that you are simply dying to see them and then forget about the whole plot after a few days, these films don't let you go without you having at least one image or message stuck in your head. Where to begin with the term Balkan Films? Which country to begin with? Each country has recent history to refer to and traditions to reveal. Many come to mind, along with bitter sweet moments involving love scenes or children speaking the truth so bluntly, you would think an adult is talking, time of war and poverty. Then the lovely music that simply takes you on a journey of beautiful scenery and, in most cases, pain and tears. When someone hears the term Balkan cinema most think of the films by Emir Kustourica, Theodoros Angelopoulos or Fatih Akin, but there are many more brilliant filmmakers such as Lukas Nola (Croatia), Sophia Zornitsa (Bulgaria), Goran Paskaljevic (Serbia), Dragan Kresoja (Serbia), and many many more. Just by mentioning the names above as well as where they come from, one can immediately see an important issue cropping up: Which countries are considered Balkan? - and the troubles during the Kosovo war, and Yugoslavia divided into smaller countries in the previous decade. Some say Turkey or Moldova are considered Balkan because of the common history-heritage with the Ottoman Empire. Then one can think of problems between Balkan countries such as Greece and FYROM. But let's not get into this. One has to take it in to account, that is true, for it is essential to feeling the films more. But, at least from my experience as a viewer of Balkan films, all the filmmakers of these countries have something in