Genre: documentary
Duration: 50 min
City of Mitrovica (Kosovo) is crossed and divided by the river Ibar. North side of the river is Serbian, southern Albanian. Situation has been unchanged since 1999, since the end of the Kosovo war. Above the river Mitrovica’s bridge, on the bridge international soldiers.
The economical situation in Mitrovica strikes at an early age: everyday life is a struggle. Petrit, 12, knows the city like the back of his hand. He is helping to maintain his family, selling pumpkin seeds. Most of his customers are international KFOR soldiers guarding the bridge. Far from their homes and families these apparently relaxed men know that the situation is always on the verge to explode: the bridge is rally point in case of inter-community clashes.
Only a few people are dedicating their time to create communication between two banks: Martin, a Dutch artist is one of those. Specialised in post-conflict areas, with his truck transformed into an ambulant gallery, he provides the people he meets canvases and one theme: Hope. Passing from one side to the other he gathers and presents the finished artworks. For him the only way to build bridges between communities is art.
Year of production: 2016
Technical details: 16:9
Country: Slovenia
Language: English, Albanian, Slovenian
Filming location: Kosovo
Co-produced by: DA’ART picture
Co-financed by: Slovenian Film Centre
Project phase: distribution
Contact: Uroš Goričan
Tel.: +386 31 655 203
uros.gorican@filrouge.si