Each year, goEast shines a spotlight on the oeuvre of a notable Eastern European filmmaker with an extensive retrospective. In so doing, the festival chooses to alternate between accomplished veteran directors and filmmakers who are in the middle of their career journeys. Following last year's Homage to Lana Gogoberidze, the 2023 Portrait is devoted to Jasmila Žbanić, in an extension of the line of strong women from Central and Eastern Europe at the heart of the festival's programming. Jasmila Žbanić is without a doubt among the most significant filmmakers from Bosnia and Herzegovina – and her recent European Film Award for QUO VADIS, AIDA? (2020) represents a great success on the international stage.
Born in Sarajevo in 1974 and educated at the city's Academy of Fine Arts, in 1997 the Bosnian director founded the artists' collective "Deblokada", which has also produced her films since its inception. The name was coined in the 1990s in reference to the siege of Sarajevo. Following the city's liberation, the after-effects of the war remained palpable in the form of diverse political, economic and psychological blockages, which have continued to shape the society of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the present day.
Jasmila Žbanić tackles these impasses through cinema. Her video art and documentary films were already featured at the documenta in Kassel in 2004. In her numerous, internationally award-winning films, the Bosnian director processes traumatic events and personal experiences of the impact of the Bosnian War. This conflict, nearly forgotten in Western Europe in the interim, is a recurrent theme in Žbanić's films. Her feature-film debut GRBAVICA (2006) was awarded the Golden Bear at the 2006 Berlinale. The film treats the systematic rape of women as a means of waging war, which managed to spark a political discussion in her native country. A look at Ukraine shows that this subject is today sadly still as relevant as ever.
Jasmila Žbanić's critical engagement with essential socio-political issues runs through her body of cinematic work like a guiding thread. For instance, QUO VADIS, AIDA? (2020) grapples with the massacre at Srebrenica. However, her filmography also includes less dramatic productions, such as the comedy LOVE ISLAND (2014). Somewhat astonished, she answered the question as to why she had made a film that wasn't about war and its effects by saying that she does only something when she has something to say about a topic and not when it is expected of her. Following her success at the European Film Awards, she was also hired as a series director in the United States, for example most recently for the video game adaptation THE LAST OF US (2022).
goEast is delighted to be able to welcome Jasmila Žbanić personally to Wiesbaden in April. Curator and film scholar Borjana Gaković will be moderating the workshop conversation with the director. Alongside her fiction features, the comprehensive retrospective will also include screenings of a selection of Žbanić's documentary films and shorter works.
Empowering Emerging Artists and Producers: East-West Talent Lab
In 2023, goEast's educational program for up-and-coming film talent is open to all filmmakers from Central and Eastern Europe as well as Germany who wish to develop their current documentary film projects further and network with like-minded peers. Running parallel to goEast Film Festival, the East-West Talent Lab is home to an intensive co-ordinated workshop program, one-on-one mentoring for projects and a public pitching session in front of a three-member expert jury.
The following prizes are awarded in the scope of the East-West Talent Lab:
- the Renovabis Research Grant for a documentary film project focussing on human rights issues, endowed with 3,500 euros in prize money;
- the Pitch-the-Doc Award, featuring a further education prize package valued at 500 euros.
In addition, the EWTL master class, traditionally open to the public, will also be taking place once again: the Polish directorial duo of Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosołowski, whose film THE HAMLET SYNDROME (2023) was recently released in German theatres, will be offering the audience insight into their cinematic work.
Accreditation
Beginning Friday, 3 March, members of the press can register here for accreditation for goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film. During the festival, accredited industry guests and members of the press will receive access to an online media library featuring the festival films. Accreditation is free of charge for members of the press who wish to report on the festival.
Save the Date: goEast Press Conference
The press conference will take place at Wiesbaden's Caligari FilmBühne as a live, in-person event on the morning of Wednesday, 19 April, starting at 11:00.
