Kosovo: A Moment in Civilization (Serbian: Косово: Моменат у цивилизацији, romanized: Kosovo: Momenat u civilizaciji) is a 2017 Serbian documentary film about Serbia's UNESCO heritage in Kosovo. Directed and produced by Serbian Canadian filmmaker Boris Malagurski, the film was released on September 15, 2017 in Paris, France.[1] The film is Malagurski's second documentary film made about Kosovo, the first was 2009 film Kosovo: Can You Imagine?
| Kosovo: A Moment in Civilization | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Boris Malagurski |
| Screenplay by | Miloš Ninković |
| Produced by | Boris Malagurski |
| Starring | Stefan Popović Sava Janjić |
Production companies | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 46 min |
| Country | Serbia |
| Language | English |
Synopsis
editThe film starts off with the host, Stefan Popović, presenting the Gračanica Monastery, its history and significance for not only Serbs who built it, but civilization as a whole. Popović talks about his childhood and how he used to often visit the monastery.
He then moves on to the Our Lady of Ljeviš Serbian Orthodox Church in Prizren, built in the 14th century, converted into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire and then back into a church in the early 20th century. Popović talks about the damaged frescoes in the church and how the church was burned during the 2004 unrest in Kosovo.
The Patriarchal Monastery of Peć is presented next, with Popović explaining the significance of it to Orthodox Serbs throughout history, but also the struggles it went through. He describes the changes that happened to the monastery and its surroundings since he visited it before the Kosovo War.
Popović then visits the Visoki Dečani monastery and talks about his first visit to that monastery as a child. Popović interviews Archimandrite Sava (Janjić), who talks about the importance of this monastery for mankind, as well as the attacks that were carried out against it by extremists.
Popović's final message relates to asking UNESCO not to admit Kosovo into its membership, as he claims that the Government of Kosovo is a threat to the monasteries and that, according to him, those who have attacked cultural heritage sites cannot be entrusted with their protection.
Release
editTheatrical
editFollowing the world premiere in Paris, the film had its Serbian premiere on September 22, 2017 at the crypt of the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade.[2][3] Subsequent screenings took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Banja Luka[4]), Russia (Moscow[5]), Australia (Sydney, Melbourne[6]), Sweden (Stockholm[citation needed]), the United States (Chicago, Miami,[citation needed] New York,[7][8] Washington, D.C., Boston[9]), Canada (Toronto[citation needed]), Switzerland (Zürich[10]), Austria (Vienna, Innsbruck, Linz[11]), Montenegro (Podgorica[12]), Slovenia (Ljubljana[13]), the Czech Republic (Prague[14]), Croatia (Zagreb[15][16]) as well in other cities in Serbia (Subotica,[17] Niš[18]).
Television
editThe documentary was broadcast on Radio Television of Serbia in March 2018.[19]
Reception
editThe film was condemned by Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj,[20] who described the film as an offensive gesture, timed deliberately to undermine Kosovo's bid to join UNESCO.[21] The Office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo also disputed the idea that Serb monuments and churches in Kosovo were Serbian property.[21] Serbia's Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Đurić, which had supported the filming of the documentary,[21] noted that Haradinaj's condemnation was "great recognition for the film", congratulating the film team and vowing to "further support projects that uncover the truth about our heritage in Kosovo and Metohija."[22]
In April 2018, the film projection in Zagreb received negative reaction from the Croatian news websites.[15][23][24][25][26]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Premijera filma "Kosovo–momenat u civilizaciji" u Parizu". rts.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 15 November 2017.
- ^ "Kosovo: momenat u civilizaciji". politika.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 15 November 2017.
- ^ "Premijera filma "Kosovo: Momenat u civilizaciji" (VIDEO)". novosti.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 15 November 2017.
- ^ "U Banjaluci održana premijera filma "Kosovo-momenat u civilizaciji"". nezavisne.com. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
- ^ Moscow: "Kosovo – A Moment in Civilization" Film Premiere Archived 2018-02-22 at the Wayback Machine Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia
- ^ 'Kosovo: A Moment in Civilization' - AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE SBS Serbian
- ^ "Kosovo: A Moment In Civilization" in NYC Theater Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church
- ^ New York: Screening of the film "Kosovo: A Moment in Civilization" Archived 2020-09-29 at the Wayback Machine Diplomatic Portal, Belgrade, Serbia
- ^ "Kosovo: A Moment in Civilization" in the US and Canada Radio Television Serbia
- ^ "Kosovo: A Moment in Civilization" presented in Switzerland as well Radio Television Serbia
- ^ About Kosovo in Vienna, Innsbruck and Linz Vesti Online
- ^ "Kosovo: A Moment in Civilization" by Boris Malagurski promoted in Podgorica Radio Svetigora
- ^ "Kosovo: A Moment in Civilization" Documentary Subotica.com
- ^ "Kosovo: A Moment In Civilization" screening in Prague Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia
- ^ a b "Srpski teoretičar zavjera i Pernarov prijatelj dolazi u Zagreb". index.hr. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
- ^ "Sloboda mišljenja i teror jednoumlja". p-portal.net. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
- ^ The Subotica premiere of "Kosovo: A Moment In Civilization" Subotica.info
- ^ Nis premiere of "Kosovo: A Moment in Civilization" AdriaFest
- ^ Kosovo: A Moment In Civilization RTS
- ^ The Republic of Kosovo - Office of the Prime Minister Press Release, September 17, 2017
- ^ a b c Zivanovic, Mala (18 September 2017). "Kosovo Slates Serbian Film Attacking its UNESCO Bid". Belgrade: Balkan Insight. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ Djuric: This is a great recognition for the film Blic daily newspaper
- ^ "Pernarov frend, opskurni redatelj Boris Malagurski stiže u Zagreb". faktograf.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- ^ "Srbijanski teoretičar zavjere Malagurski gostuje u Zagrebu na poziv Privrednika". faktograf.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- ^ "#MALAGURSKIVIDIŠTANAMRADE: Srpski teoretičar zavjere zaratio s hrvatskim medijima zbog gostovanja u Zagrebu". lupiga.com (in Croatian). Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- ^ "Momenat u indoktrinaciji". portalnovosti.com (in Croatian). Retrieved 17 November 2018.
Further reading
edit- Perica, Vjekoslav (30 November 2017). "Serbian Jerusalem: Religious Nationalism, Globalization and the Invention of a Holy Land in Europe's Periphery, 1985-2017". Digital Commons @ George Fox University. Retrieved 13 January 2023.