The festival is focused on Bosnia-Herzegovina and the surrounding countries; Albania, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. The films should be (co)produced from these countries or treating questions, subjects, phenomens or situations located there, or simply offering connected views and settings.
“Bosnia-Herzegovina is a melting point of ethnical, political, religious and national influences. As such it is a place of the future, where all the urgent questions of possible community, society and togetherness are pointed out intensively and extensively. Past and current experiences in this region are most helpful blueprints for global orientation in times of change and world-wide migration.
No other medium is more suited than film to capture these complex realities and provide them for discussions and confrontations, offering knowledge, views and perspectives, aiming to create sensitivity and tolerance for cultural differences.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is a small country, but at the same time a mirror of the world, so our small festival will become, in fact, a world festival.”
Dieter Wieczorek
(Festival director)
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“Aktion – Leben und Lernen in Bosnien e. V.”, a non-profit association in Bottrop, Germany, hosts an international film festival over the course of three days. The focal point will be Bosnia-Herzegovina and its neighbouring countries – their shared history, social challenges, war traumas and desire to find their place in Europe.
Amela Halilovic, chairman of the association, outlines the reasons for launching the festival: “After the end of the war 1995, Bosnia faded from view of the media and public. We would like to contribute to raising awareness of Bosnia-Herzegovina being a European country with a history that traumatized its population. Instability and lack of economic development are prevalent – but there are also spots of hope and progress.”
Using film as the medium of choice, the association plans to highlight diverse perceptions and points of view, ranging from the consequences of war, the disputed Dayton Agreement, emigration and flight, cultural and social initiatives to people in their everyday lives.