Films by women directors from the Balkan and neighbour countries are in the focus at IWFF 2010 in Cologne.

Women directors from southeast Europe often deal with the notion of home and migration. They tell similar inter-cultural stories of oppressed identities, exile, and displacement in the context of the post war situation. Secrets and “hushed histories” (Dina Iordanova) from the past that are absent from official annals interest the filmmakers. They give a voice to those people who are hardly ever heard. In the last years women directors from this region screened their films very successful at international film festivals – such as Jasmila Zbanic with a Golden Bear for “Grbavica”.

As their neighbours in Western Europe it’s our concern to give their films a wider forum in order to get into a discussion with the filmmakers.

The focus on the Balkan and neighbour countries will be programmed by journalist and filmmaker Rada Sesic, and Betty Schiel and Sonja Hofmann of IWFF Dortmund | Cologne.

For further info please see Focus: Balkan & Neighbours
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