DIASPORA
Promotion and premiere of the documentary film “Holiday in Rome and other stories”
Kolarac May 12, 2021.
In 2018, FOSDI started the implementation of a multi-year program dedicated to the Serbian diaspora in Italy. Project Serbs in Italy – then and now,started with the filming of a documentary film, (under the working title HOLIDAY IN ROME AND OTHER STORIES – about seven very creative and interesting Serbian women) and the research of the journey and stay of members of the Serbian diaspora on the Apennine peninsula, during the 19th and 20th centuries, acquires the scope and character of a multidisciplinary multi-year program. The project entitled MODERN TIMES, OLD CUSTOMS – Serbian diaspora in Italy, aims to comprehensively, through various visual forms, present the complexity of life abroad, business, cultural and personal connections, to present not only everyday life but also the historical movement and adaptation of our compatriots to another and different culture. The connection between what was once and what is now, once invisible at first glance, is actually strong, and, in the eyes of a connoisseur, inevitable and unquestionable.
From the archives: “There were nine Serbian settlements in the Italian province of Molise in the 14th century.” Until the 19th century, only three settlements preserved their language, identity and customs. Serbs inhabited Cerifello, Palata, Tavena, Acquaviva, San Felice, Montemiro, San Giacomo, Ripalda and San Biaze. According to data from 1885, the Serbian language was preserved in Akvaviva Kolekroće, in San Feliće and in Montemir. Professor Rista Kovačić stayed in Molise in 1884 and published his reports on the Serbs in Southern Italy in the Gazette of the Serbian Learned Society. The State Councilor of the Kingdom of Italy, Mr. Ascoli, otherwise a linguist, wrote: “The Slavic language in the Molian colonies is Serbian, the one spoken with slight variations in Dalmatia, Montenegro and Serbia.” The Serbian colonies in Molise passionately love their Serbian language and their Serbian nationality, but at the same time they also love their Italian homeland. Among the martyrs for the freedom of Italy, one Serb from Akvaviva Kolekroća, Nikola Neri, who was executed in 1799 together with Pagano, Carafa, Caracola and other famous Italian patriots shines with a living light. And that famous Italo-Serbian, saying goodbye to the townspeople he often visited, used to recommend: “Don’t lose our language!” house with manner and words in such a way that it took me into a Serbian legend!”
The project MODERN TIMES, OLD CUSTOMS – the Serbian diaspora in Italy consists of: 1. a lecture with a projection on the historical course of the Serbs on the Apennine peninsula, starting from the 14th century until the most glorious days of the Serbs in Trieste, 2. a screening of a documentary film about our compatriots who live in Italy – entitled HOLIDAY IN ROME AND OTHER STORIES 3. Exhibition of photographs and historiographical panels 4. Exhibition of photographs from the contemporary life of the Serbian diaspora in Italy, 5. Concert of contemporary music. The program was conceived as a manifestation that will be realized in Rome, in cooperation with the SERBIA-ITALY society and with the support of the RS Embassy, and then in Belgrade – presenting the contemporary Serbian diaspora, but also the history and culture of the Serbs on the Apennine peninsula through the centuries.The program is supported by funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia – Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region
The Chinese dragon project in the Serbian way
The project CHINESE DRAGON THE SERBIAN WAY – filming of a documentary film, promotion and projection, discussions with the audience – FOSDI has been dealing with the topic of our diaspora in China for many years. The main protagonist, Zoran Bogdanović, is a businessman who has been in China for more than 20 years. In the film, he talks about the characteristics of modern China, about his first steps-our beginnings in the Chinese business world, about the specifics of “business the Chinese way”, about the environmental challenges and the huge pollution that the Chinese economy is facing, about the cultural and economic expansion of China, about to our most successful compatriots who live and work in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, whether they are business, sports or culture people. Zoran Bogdanović was the president of the Assembly of the Serbian diaspora in Asia, so his testimonies, interesting facts and observations are valuable, specific, witty, useful and instructive. Milena Bogdanović, as a philologist and business woman, told us about the challenges of daily work in Beijing and the provinces where, to give an example, very often, due to huge pollution, the state orders the closing of factories for 30 days. It greatly affects business and meeting deadlines, to say the least. The Bogdanović children made a strong impression on us, the authors and the project team; Mija (18), who spoke about the blue sky over Belgrade, about the stars she had never seen over Beijing, so she didn’t even know the meaning of the term “starry sky” and Boris (11), who was surprised by the indiscipline and lack of manners of his schoolmates in Belgrade, saying that such a thing is unthinkable in a Chinese school. They both speak the Chinese language perfectly, as does their mother, Milena, a Sinologist, business woman and lover of Chinese culture. Milena Bogdanović, as a philologist and business woman, told us about the challenges of daily work in Beijing and the provinces where, to give an example, very often, due to huge pollution, the state orders the closing of factories for 30 days. It greatly affects business and meeting deadlines, to say the least. The Bogdanović children made a strong impression on us, the authors and the project team; Mija (18), who spoke about the blue sky over Belgrade, about the stars she had never seen over Beijing, so she didn’t even know the meaning of the term “starry sky” and Boris (11), who was surprised by the indiscipline and lack of manners of his schoolmates in Belgrade, saying that such a thing is unthinkable in a Chinese school. They both speak the Chinese language perfectly, as does their mother, Milena, a Sinologist, business woman and lover of Chinese culture. Milena Bogdanović, as a philologist and business woman, told us about the challenges of daily work in Beijing and the provinces where, to give an example, very often, due to huge pollution, the state orders the closing of factories for 30 days. It greatly affects business and meeting deadlines, to say the least. The Bogdanović children made a strong impression on us, the authors and the project team; Mija (18), who spoke about the blue sky over Belgrade, about the stars she had never seen over Beijing, so she didn’t even know the meaning of the term “starry sky” and Boris (11), who was surprised by the indiscipline and lack of manners of his schoolmates in Belgrade, saying that such a thing is unthinkable in a Chinese school. They both speak the Chinese language perfectly, as does their mother, Milena, a Sinologist, business woman and lover of Chinese culture. as a philologist and business woman, she told us about the challenges of daily work in Beijing and provinces where, to give an example, very often, due to huge pollution, the state orders the closing of factories for 30 days. It greatly affects business and meeting deadlines, to say the least. The Bogdanović children made a strong impression on us, the authors and the project team; Mija (18), who spoke about the blue sky over Belgrade, about the stars she had never seen over Beijing, so she didn’t even know the meaning of the term “starry sky” and Boris (11), who was surprised by the indiscipline and lack of manners of his schoolmates in Belgrade, saying that such a thing is unthinkable in a Chinese school. They both speak the Chinese language perfectly, as does their mother, Milena, a Sinologist, business woman and lover of Chinese culture. as a philologist and business woman, she told us about the challenges of daily work in Beijing and provinces where, to give an example, very often, due to huge pollution, the state orders the closing of factories for 30 days. It greatly affects business and meeting deadlines, to say the least. The Bogdanović children made a strong impression on us, the authors and the project team; Mija (18), who spoke about the blue sky over Belgrade, about the stars she had never seen over Beijing, so she didn’t even know the meaning of the term “starry sky” and Boris (11), who was surprised by the indiscipline and lack of manners of his schoolmates in Belgrade, saying that such a thing is unthinkable in a Chinese school. They both speak the Chinese language perfectly, as does their mother, Milena, a Sinologist, business woman and lover of Chinese culture.
ARISTOPHANES IN DNOPOLJE or LET ME BE ME
The program is in PARIS (May 31 and October 29, 2016) and VIENNA (November 11 and 15, 2016). The program was implemented in two phases, in Paris, on Tuesday, May 31, a documentary film marathon was opened with the screening of the film ARISTOPHANES IN DNOPOLJ, within the FESTIVAL DES CINEMAS DU SUD EST EUROPEEN (Festival of Southeastern European Films) at the INALCO Institute – Sorbonne University. The projection attracted professors, university students and civil society activists. The author’s conversation with the audience after the screening lasted more than an hour and was an opportunity to familiarize the French audience with the conditions, circumstances and reasons for the realization of such a documentary film and the program as a whole. The film received extraordinary praise, and aroused interest in the life and everyday life of Lika women. The second segment of the program, Katarina Pejak’s concert with the band, by the author of the music for this documentary film and project, was held on Saturday, October 29, 2016, in the Cultural Center of the RS in Paris, in front of a full auditorium. Katarina Pejak is our young artist who, after graduating from the prestigious Berklee Academy of Music in Boston, lives in Nashville, USA. She performed with her band and presented new original material from the “American” album. She presented the diaspora in the best way, but also her art to the audience in Paris, which consisted of both our and French residents. In Vienna, the program was realized in two days, concert KATARINA PEJAK& FRIENDS, place Kulturverein REIGEN, Friday, 11.11.2016. Katarina Pejak is the author of the music for the film Aristophanes in Dnopolje, and part of the author’s team of the project. Due to her exceptional performance, she received an invitation from the director of the Spring Blues Festival in Vienna for a concert in April 2017 in Mozart’s House – a concert space for the selected. The screening of the film, exhibitions of photographs, handicrafts and organic products were realized on Tuesday, November 15. from 6 pm at the Vienna Diplomatic Academy (Diplomatische Akademie am Wien). The audience consisted of members of the diplomatic corps, members of the Serbian community, the media, employees of our embassy, representatives of the Viennese cultural public. The program was opened by Mr. Goran Bradić, deputy ambassador of the RS in Austria, and Nataša Milojević, president of FOSDI and author of the program. All protagonists of the film, authors of handicrafts, women from Ličan, members of the singing group, the author of the project participated in the program. The program called ARISTOFAN IN DNOPOLJ or DA JA BODEM ME is in its fourth year of implementation, a project that we started in 2013. it grew into a comprehensive program concept. Conceived initially as a project dedicated to women, Serbian women living in rural areas of Croatia (Lika, Krajina, Dalmatia) with the aim of encouraging and motivating them to engage in their social and social engagement through new, creative-artistic expressions, building their cultural identity, has outgrown the initial idea and has become a complete multi-year program consisting of several segments, namely: 1) training-workshops in the field of gender rights and equality, 2) cultural information and education, participation in the creation of a documentary film; 3) exhibition of works of applied art (photographs, weaving, illustrations) and handicrafts of women from the association; 4) creative workshops for artistic expression; 5) concert performances, film screenings, exhibitions of photos and handicrafts of the protagonists in EU cities – Paris and Vienna. The goal of the program is to help the women of the villages of Lika and the Krajina, who remained as guardians of hearths and traditions, to express themselves more fully and to encourage them to achieve and their spiritual existence, as well as to recognize and engage as a force essential for socio-political decision-making and social engagement. And further, to help them market their handicrafts, services and products in an interesting way in order to conquer markets and customers who are not just passers-by or rare guests in their area. The participants-beneficiaries of the project are women from Gračac, Serbs, Lički Petrovi Selo, Udbino, Donji Lapac-Dnopolje and Korenica, as well as artists – collaborators from Serbia, Croatia and the USA. screening of the film, exhibition of photos and handicrafts of the female protagonists in EU cities – Paris and Vienna. The goal of the program is to help the women of the villages of Lika and the Krajina, who remained as guardians of the hearth and tradition, to express themselves more fully and to encourage them to realize their spiritual existence, as well as to recognize and engage as a force essential for socio-political decision-making and social engagement. And further, to help them market their handicrafts, services and products in an interesting way in order to conquer markets and customers who are not just passers-by or rare guests in their area. The participants-beneficiaries of the project are women from Gračac, Serbs, Lički Petrovi Selo, Udbino, Donji Lapac-Dnopolje and Korenica, as well as artists – collaborators from Serbia, Croatia and the USA. screening of the film, exhibition of photos and handicrafts of the female protagonists in EU cities – Paris and Vienna. The goal of the program is to help the women of the villages of Lika and the Krajina, who remained as guardians of the hearth and tradition, to express themselves more fully and to encourage them to realize their spiritual existence, as well as to recognize and engage as a force essential for socio-political decision-making and social engagement. And further, to help them market their handicrafts, services and products in an interesting way in order to conquer markets and customers who are not just passers-by or rare guests in their area. The participants-beneficiaries of the project are women from Gračac, Serbs, Lički Petrovi Selo, Udbino, Donji Lapac-Dnopolje and Korenica, as well as artists – collaborators from Serbia, Croatia and the USA. The aim of the program is to help the women of the villages of Lika and the Krajina, who have remained as guardians of the hearth and tradition, to express themselves more fully and to encourage them to realize their spiritual existence, as well as to recognize and engage them as an important force for socio-political decision-making and social engagement. And further, to help them market their handicrafts, services and products in an interesting way in order to conquer markets and customers who are not just passers-by or rare guests in their area. The participants-beneficiaries of the project are women from Gračac, Serbs, Lički Petrovi Selo, Udbino, Donji Lapac-Dnopolje and Korenica, as well as artists – collaborators from Serbia, Croatia and the USA. The aim of the program is to help the women of the villages of Lika and the Krajina, who have remained as guardians of the hearth and tradition, to express themselves more fully and to encourage them to realize their spiritual existence, as well as to recognize and engage them as an important force for socio-political decision-making and social engagement. And further, to help them market their handicrafts, services and products in an interesting way in order to conquer markets and customers who are not just passers-by or rare guests in their area. The participants-beneficiaries of the project are women from Gračac, Serbs, Lički Petrovi Selo, Udbino, Donji Lapac-Dnopolje and Korenica, as well as artists – collaborators from Serbia, Croatia and the USA. as well as to recognize and engage as a force essential for socio-political decision-making and social engagement. And further, to help them market their handicrafts, services and products in an interesting way in order to conquer markets and customers who are not just passers-by or rare guests in their area. The participants-beneficiaries of the project are women from Gračac, Serbs, Lički Petrovi Selo, Udbino, Donji Lapac-Dnopolje and Korenica, as well as artists – collaborators from Serbia, Croatia and the USA. as well as to recognize and engage as a force essential for socio-political decision-making and social engagement. And further, to help them market their handicrafts, services and products in an interesting way in order to conquer markets and customers who are not just passers-by or rare guests in their area. The participants-beneficiaries of the project are women from Gračac, Serbs, Lički Petrovi Selo, Udbino, Donji Lapac-Dnopolje and Korenica, as well as artists – collaborators from Serbia, Croatia and the USA.
