With the new cinema event, Unseen aims to recall and reopen discussions about the support and solidarity fostered by the people of Yugoslavia with the people of Palestine and other nations fighting against colonialism and imperialism, by drawing from film archives two films produced in the 1970s and 1980s. 

How can we imagine re-establishing these connections in the contemporary moment? And what role does culture play in this process? 

Contextualization and Introductory Presentation:

Ivana Perić 

Through snapshots of cultural interconnectedness and production in Yugoslavia during the Non-Aligned Movement, we’ll shift the usual focus from high-level diplomatic relations and general observations about Yugoslavia’s cooperation with so-called third-world countries. In this context, we do not approach the Non-Aligned Movement's materials as an "appealing" archival topic, but rather as a tool for understanding the methods, context, and politics of cultural work, both in the past and present.  Media, literary, musical, film, and sports notes about Yugoslavia and the Non-Aligned Movement will take us on a small, enthusiastic, and amateur journey from the 1960s to the 1980s in Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Uganda, and more. 

 Krv i suze / Blood and Tears, 1972, Boško Mratinković, Stevan Labudović, Mirko Aksentijević, 12 min 

Produced in 1972 by Filmske Novosti, this documentary film "Blood and Tears" was created to inform the domestic audience about events in Palestinian territories but also as an act of camaraderie and political support for the Palestine Liberation Organization. The film was first screened when the Federal Conference of the Socialist Alliance of Working People of Yugoslavia hosted a delegation from the Palestine Liberation Organization. 

Jugoslavija i oslobodilački pokreti / Yugoslavia and Liberation Movements, 1984, Lidija Veljanova, 30 min 

A film providing a brief overview of the camaraderie between the people of Yugoslavia and those fighting for liberation from imperialism and colonialism. 

Discussion