The film Sky Above Zenica, directed by Nanna Frank Møller and Zlatko Pranjić and screened in Sarajevo, follows the efforts of the citizens’ association Eko Forum, led by activist Samir Lemeš, to reveal how Zenica’s ironworks falsely portrays itself as an environmentally responsible industry while continuing its harmful practices. Despite backing from city authorities and funding from European investors, the plant’s true impact on Zenica’s environment and population remains concealed.
After the film screening, journalist and director Robert Zuber moderated a panel discussion titled “Investing in Tomorrow: Who Owns the Future?”, with the film’s authors, producer Lise Lense Møller and the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bosnia and Herzegovina, His Excellency Henk van den Dool.
Speaking about the motivation behind the project, director Zlatko Pranjić recalled discovering a 2017 article in The Guardian titled “Zenica, Bosnia: The Steel Town Where Even Taking a Breath Can Be a Struggle. He recognized Samir, his childhood friend, who was leading this battle—yet his voice remained unheard at the time. The article inspired him to call Nanna and propose making a film together.
The director noted that, despite being an outsider to the story, she quickly grasped how challenging it is for residents of a war-affected area to rebuild their lives when everything around them remains fundamentally unchanged. “Big corporations continue to grow, making it increasingly difficult for those who seek to challenge them. That’s why you don’t often see people like Samir who are brave enough to confront these problems,” said Nanna Frank Møller. She also mentioned that she observed an increase in discussions among other residents of Zenica about the issue once work on the project began. Despite this, the director emphasized that such issues are often “swept under the carpet” and urged the international community to support efforts in addressing and solving this problem.
The Dutch Ambassador highlighted the importance of this project, noting that environmental protection is a key focus of the country’s foreign policy. He also emphasized that film can serve as a powerful tool in addressing such issues and raising awareness about similar challenges: “It’s a hard reality to face – this isn’t a fictional Skywalker taking over an empire – it’s really happening, only a few kilometers from where we’re sitting right now.”
He also compared Zenica to his hometown in the past: “We had a factory like this in my home town. I remember that my mother never left the laundry out to dry because it would turn completely gray. When it snowed in the winter, we would only have one day to enjoy it, because the next day it would be completely black, and yet we didn’t find anything unusual about it,” Van den Dool recalled.
The ambassador cautioned about the long-term consequences of pollution, pointing out that even fifty years after pollution began, and despite the implementation of numerous precautionary measures, people in that region continue to suffer from higher rates of cancer, diabetes, and other diseases compared to other parts of the Netherlands. This example should serve to amplify the urgency of addressing the environmental crisis Zenica is currently facing. The Ambassador was particularly concerned about the lack of accountability from both the authorities and the representatives of the Željezara he noticed in the film, and emphasised the importance of strong legislation to compel these actors to take responsibility.
Producer Lise Lense-Møller reminded the audience that many environmental issues around the world are often overlooked until someone takes the initiative to speak out about them: “Our task, the task of this film, is to shed light on forgotten topics and to encourage conversations about them.”
After the main part of the panel, the audience expressed their appreciation and congratulated the filmmakers on their impactful project. The film’s protagonist, Samir Lemeš, also addressed the audience, discussing the current situation in Zenica and the future steps that will be taken to address the issue. He announced a meeting with the authorities scheduled for the following day, which will be held behind closed doors, without cameras.
“The film was excellent, it resonated with me as someone who lives in Zenica, and I really empathise with the film crew. I was happy to see an example of how citizens can participate in the fight for their rights. I learned that citizens should unite and fight together, because we won’t get far as individuals – we must stand together,” said Sara Điđić from Studio Theater in Zenica.
The 30th Sarajevo Film Festival showed that film, art and culture can open up a space for talking about these important and sensitive topics. SFF held their third Human Rights Day program from August 17 to 23, 2024. The program brought together young activists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and representatives from the Network of Young European Ambassadors which is comprised of youth from across the Western Balkans. During the six day-program, participants will engage in discussions on human rights and explore the impact of art, particularly film, in addressing human rights violations.
Photo credit: sff.ba
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