Krugovi is a Serbian foreign language film that follows the
lives of five people living in a small town a decade after the Bosnian War.
The Film understandably touches on a wide array of emotional
themes stemming from atrocities that occurred during the Bosnian War and
how it continues to effect people in the present day.
Synopsis
Krugovi follows five different intertwining stories belonging to five different people. Each of whom were drastically affected by one event. An event twelve years ago, where a Serbian militia nearly beat a Muslim shopkeeper to death.
To
this day, events surrounding the attack continue to be a contested issue. Especially among the
Serb contingent of the town.
After the war many of the surviving townspeople returned to their homes, each living with the tragic past they survived.
After the war many of the surviving townspeople returned to their homes, each living with the tragic past they survived.
Krugovi focuses on these five characters in the present day who
are each going through their own troubles. All while tensions around them rise when the actions of some lead to the wide scale resurfacing of old rifts, guilts,
frustrations and hostilities.
(Note) I’ve purposefully left this synopsis vague. For I
believe laying out too much about the film could destroy the huge emotional
factor attached to the film’s narrative.
Important Themes
Krugovi is directly set on the effects the Bosnian War has had on people living in the region. Similarly to the Bosnian film Halima’s Path, Krugovi effectively tells an emotional story set in the Eastern European region without making the war itself the main focus of the film.
The division of Yugoslavia saw national borders take form
across ethno-religious lines. These divisions were done to enforce safety between
forming warring parties.
Nevertheless, divisions done over percentages still leave people living in areas where they are minorities, as people do not want to leave their homes.
Nevertheless, divisions done over percentages still leave people living in areas where they are minorities, as people do not want to leave their homes.
As time passes, tensions still remain. This is extremely evident
across the region and especially in cities where families have returned to
their homes. Krugovi touches on this aspect of Balkan society explicitly.
Today sentiments and tensions remain just as they were prior to the war. With people aging and passing on their experiences onto the next generation.
Today sentiments and tensions remain just as they were prior to the war. With people aging and passing on their experiences onto the next generation.
As of late the rapid spread of nationalism across Europe has fueled these dormant tensions
once more. Where these tensions were previously between people and local
communities.
Nationalism has caused these tensions to return to a broad scale ethno-religious and national-ideological ‘Us versus Them’ rift.
Nationalism has caused these tensions to return to a broad scale ethno-religious and national-ideological ‘Us versus Them’ rift.
Today these tensions are again rapidly spreading as negative sentiments against certain types of people are being shouted to,
listened to and believed by people living in the region.
Let's take Serbia for example. The country and the people are
constantly voicing vile opinions on people from Albania, Croatia, Montenegro
and Kosovo (the last of which many in Serbia refuse to even acknowledge as a
country, with tensions rising to all-time highs since the war).
This has led to large-scale anti-Albanian and anti-Croatian sentiments
spreading like wildfire across the region. It has even gone to the point where football
matches between differing clubs are literally deemed the most dangerous place you can be in the country.
It is safe to say that nationalism is causing the region to
reach its boiling point once again as rhetoric and division continue to haunt the people in the Balkan region.
Conclusion
Altogether, Krugovi is a spectacular film. It touches on many sensitive issues facing modern day life in the Slavic region.
Krugovi embodies how life may be like living in a pressure
cooker environment, like modern day Serbia.
Krugovi is a smart and emotional film.
It goes forward to tell a story detailing the complex nature of the region as well as touching on the intricate relations we have with people from different ethnic, religious and racial origins.
It goes forward to tell a story detailing the complex nature of the region as well as touching on the intricate relations we have with people from different ethnic, religious and racial origins.
Krugovi is a real treat and an amazing film. Showing once again how
film can be used as an important and powerful medium. Reflecting on real, human
stories.
