Kosovo: Can You Imagine?
| Kosovo: Can You Imagine? | |
|---|---|
 Official poster |
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| Directed by | Boris Malagurski |
| Starring | Lewis MacKenzie Scott Taylor James Byron Bissett Michel Chossudovsky |
| Music by | Filip Borac Mihaela Cristina Istrate Kevin Macleod Boris Malagurski |
| Editing by | Boris Malagurski |
| Release date(s) | 15 March 2009 |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English Serbian Albanian |
Kosovo: Can You Imagine? is a 2009 Canadian documentary film directed by Boris Malagurski[1][2][3] about the Serbs who currently live in Kosovo and their lack of human rights. The film stars former Canadian general Lewis MacKenzie.
Contents |
[edit] About the film
[edit] Background
Kosovo had been under UN administration since 1999 when NATO bombed Serbia for 78 days to halt a crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatism in its province of Kosovo. In the years following the war, Serbs were expelled from their homes, kidnapped and killed. A large number of their houses, cultural and religious sites were burned and destroyed[4][5][6].
The film presents most of the Kosovo Serbs as internally displaced, some of them living in enclaves, in small containter camps in Kosovo, in ghettos. The director emphasizes his surprise at finding "people living in ghettos in the 21st century in Europe just because some people [Serbs, Roma, others] do not belong to the majority ethnic group [Albanians]."[7] The film follows the stories of several Serbs who have fallen victim to alleged nationalist and irredentist ideology on the part of the Albanian majority.
On December 11, 2009, the film had its broadcast premiere on Russia Today, the first all-digital Russian TV network.[8]
[edit] Behind the scenes
Director Boris Malagurski stated the following regarding the film:[9]
| “ |
In an age where human rights are taken for granted in the Western world, Kosovo Serbs are battling for the most basic human rights. I hope that his film will encourage people to ask questions and do independent research on what’s going on in Kosovo, as well as try to change things for the better and help those who are helpless. |
” |
Canadian journalist and military expert Scott Taylor said the following about the film:
| “ |
Unfortunately for all those involved, the question posed in the title of the documentary Kosovo: Can You Imagine? is a resounding YES. Having covered much of the same ground and witnessed the same events myself over the past decade, I can attest to the accuracy of the film. As a young filmmaker of Serbian origin, Boris Malagurski took considerable personal risk, and displayed exemplary courage to produce this work. He is to be commended for his efforts. |
” |
Former Canadian diplomat and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Yugoslavia, James Byron Bissett stated this about the film:
| “ |
"Kosovo: Can You Imagine?" demonstrates, in graphic fashion, the results of the "humanitarian" intervention by NATO in Kosovo. Ghettos in the middle of Europe in the 21st century! The film shows why we must be so careful about exercising the "right to protect" and other catch phrases that mean well but do more harm than good. |
” |
Russia Today, the first all-digital Russian TV network, described the film with the following words[8]:
| “ |
Kosovo represents the sum of Serbian tragedies which unfolded throughout its centuries–long history. The world is turning a blind eye to a 21st century pogrom. |
” |
[edit] Awards
- Best Film - BC Days Documentary Film Festival 2009, Vancouver, Canada[10][11][12][13]
- Winner, Silver Palm Award - Mexico International Film Festival 2009, Rosarito, Mexico [14]
- Official Selection - BridgeFest 2009, East Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina [10][13][15]
[edit] References
- ^ Kosovo: Can You Imagine? IMDb Title Page
- ^ "Kosovo, Can You Imagine?". Czech Free Press. 2009-02-07. http://www.czechfp.cz/site/?p=5527. Retrieved 2009-03-04.[dead link]
- ^ "Η τραγική εικόνα του Κοσόβου στην οθόνη" (in Greek). Novopress Hellas. 2009-02-24. http://gr.novopress.info/?p=588. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
- ^ http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2004/03/18/kosovoserbia-protect-minorities-ethnic-violence
- ^ "Serb prisoners 'were stripped of their organs in Kosovo war'". The Daily Telegraph (London). 2008-04-11. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1584751/Serb-prisoners-were-stripped-of-their-organs-in-Kosovo-war.html. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ http://www.unmikonline.org/pub/focuskos/apr02/focusklaw3.htm
- ^ "Interview with Vancouver movie director Boris Malagurski: “People have to liberate themselves from burdens of history”". East of Main. 2009-01-13. http://eastofmain.com/?p=131. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
- ^ a b Kosovo - Can you imagine? XL Reports | Russia Today, December 11, 2009
- ^ About "Kosovo: Can You Imagine?"
- ^ a b BC Days of Serbian Culture - Serbian Documentary Film Festival
- ^ Film Borisa Malagurskog nagrađen na festivalu u Meksiku
- ^ RTV Pink - Nagrada kao dvostruko priznanje
- ^ a b FILM BORISA MALAGURSKOG NAGRAĐEN NA FESTIVALU U MEKSIKU - International Radio Serbia
- ^ Silver Palm Award Winners - Mexico International Film Festival 2009
- ^ BridgeFest 2009 - Program
