The retrospective in Belgrade with works of previous Darko Bratina awardees

At the beginning of May 2025, the retrospective Oriente Vzhod / Occidente Zahod –Border in Film and History was presented in Belgrade as part of the 11th edition of the Days of Slovenian Film in Belgrade. The event was organized by the Association of Slovenians Sava in Belgrade under the artistic direction of Dragomir Zupanac, and the presentation of the retrospective was included in the official program of the European Capital of Culture GO! 2025. It marked another stage of a cinematic journey that links European cities through stories of borders as places of transition, dialogue, and shared memory.

At the Yugoslav Cinematheque, audiences were offered a selection of works produced between 1960 and 2014. Among them were films by two past recipients of the Darko Bratina Award: filmmaker, awarded in 2012, Karpo Godina, and film director, awarded in 2011, Franco Giraldi. In addition to the screenings, the program also featured a roundtable discussion on cross-border cooperation, multicultural spaces, and film heritage. Participants included Karpo Godina, Želimir Žilnik – another former Bratina laureate – and the Kinoatelje team: Mateja Zorn, Martina Humar, Mateja Sulič, and Nadina Štefančič.

The retrospective once again opened a space to reflect on the role of cinema in understanding our shared past and multicultural present, while showcasing the richness of Slovenian and Italian cinematography through feature films, documentaries, and archival materials.