Can one be ‘defined’ through one’s gender, age, nationality, sexual, political or career choices? Can we view and comprehend another human being in all their complexity? What are the parameters that define us as individuals or groups, and must we always define ourselves by opposition ‘I vs. You’ or ‘Us vs. Them’?

The idea behind the ‘Filming the Other’ project was to explore stereotypes and 'boxes' which we use to define ourselves, how and why they might be perceived as threats and why the Other is so frightening. As observed by the artist iO Tillett Wright, “film allows us to examine a lion's whiskers without the threat of it tearing us apart, therefore, it could be a great medium for presenting the unfamiliar Other without having to fear that we need to defend ourselves from it in any way”.

With this in mind, the project provided a space in which the Other can be viewed, recognized and understood. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie warned us against the danger of relying on a single story about any person or any place. “Even when that story is true, it's only a part of something bigger and more complex, when alone it is too one-dimensional. Knowing only our side of the story about the Other is narrow and limiting and often a breeding ground for misconceptions, fear and violence. We wish to step out of the single story and hear the Other's perspective too, hoping that familiarity does lead to empathy”.

The ‘Filming the Other’ project consisted in the production of a series of documentary films showing culturally diverse identities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It involved 13 young filmmakers aged 18-30 years old who were encouraged to explore and present the identity of the Other rather than their own cultural identity. In an initial stage, they followed seminars which professionalised them in this domain, after which they produced their own documentary films. With a particular eye to supporting gender equality, the project sought to involve as many young women as men in the project.

Mirza Skenderagic’s contribution was about stuttering and its perception in society. “I wanted to make a film about stuttering because I have a speech impediment, but in making it I realized that it had become a broader observation on the importance of speech and communication”, said Skenderagic, adding that the shooting of the film was the greatest professional challenge she had faced so far.

Bojana Josić chose to focus her film on the subject of sterility, Anja Kavić looked at what life was like for people with disabilities and Lamie Sabic gave an insight into the daily life of nuns. “As a whole, it was a great experience and I think that projects of this type can help to increase our awareness of the people around us, "said Kavić.

* * * * *

The “Filming the Other” project, launched in 2014 and implemented by VIZART Film Production from Banja Luka, is supported by the UNESCO International Fund for the Promotion of Culture (IFPC), the British Council and the US Embassy in the country and the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The project aims to promote and raise the level of public awareness of cultural diversity by encouraging a high degree of media coverage in each stage of the project. The young filmmakers involved in the project had the opportunity to express their views on cultural diversity, to explore their potential for creativity and to be part of a network of filmmakers.

Link: http://en.unesco.org/ifpc/project-profile/filming-other