Delving into the stories of the Competition Programme of the 14th edition of Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival “Edgetales”
The 14th edition of the BBB Short Film Festival featured a competition programme of thirty-three short films which all fell under the umbrella of this year’s theme: ‘Edgetales’, prioritising diverse and inclusive stories, so desperately needed in these challenging times. This year’s theme shed light on a multitude of experiences from the Balkan region and beyond. The competition programme of the 14th Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival offered a cinematic glimpse into usually overlooked subjects, and highlighted misconceptions that surround people coming from underprivileged backgrounds, tackling social difficulties. The competition programme was divided into six screening sessions, each one approaching the ‘edge’ through a different angle.
The first screening session titled Not for Granted, featured short films about losing and finding something of importance. Palma (d. Gabriel Camaj – Montenegro) presents, in a carefully constructed narrative puzzle, a father-daughter duo with a precarious financial situation. The documentary Mommies (d. Elvira Krithari, Maria Sidiropoulou – Greece) tackles the “atypical” subject of egg donors and IVF procedures in Greece, through the perspectives of two women. Ali Cabbar’s Gardens Petrified (Turkey) is an engaging thriller with gradually constructed suspense about corruption in Turkish rural areas. The documentary Yesterday is What Never Was by Nikola Nikolic and Nikola Topalovic (Serbia) tells a story about strength and resilience, focusing on a single working mother who volunteers in an ethnically diverse community. Ariadni Angeliki Thyfronitou Litou’s bright-colored Ante Nte (Greece) shows the adulthood of three different typologies of young adults unveiling their vulnerabilities through a hilarious portrayal.
Dis-wanted introduced characters from disadvantaged backgrounds, who – each in their own way – fight against the ‘windmills of society’. Aurică, A Dog’s Life (d. Mihai Dragolea – Romania) draws a parallel between an escaped prisoner and a dog treated violently by his owner, through admirable craftsmanship in the use of photography. Istina (Truth) by Tamara Denić (Germany) marks a compelling story beautifully shot about the struggles of a journalist trying to uncover the uncomfortable truths of today’s world. With a fascinating directorial approach and captivating performances, the sun-kissed short film The Parade (d. Michail Galanopoulos – Greece) follows a group of high school students navigating abuse and xenophobia, while experimenting with “who they are” through drugs. The animation Cinda Real by Sara Božanić (Slovenia) is both a heart-breaking and a heart-warming take on Cinderella and the stigma around people with amputations. Through sound design and editing that facilitates empathy, I Don’t Care (d. Marinela Prifti – Albania) showcases the psychological effects of online bullying and the trials of being born with a congenital hand deformity. Justis (d. Nikitas Sifonios, Aggelos Barai – Greece) is an interview with a grieving father, accompanied by images of a Roma settlement, discussing police brutality and racism.
The Tradition Revisited session was composed of short films inspired primarily by Balkan myths. Lupus in Fabula (d. Vuk Palibrk, Tanja Brzaković – Serbia) is a minimalistic yet deeply touching animation about wanting to be someone else and losing who you really are in the process. Based on an Ottoman fairytale, The Pink Mountain (d. Thomas Kunstler – Greece) shows how the ones lacking material possessions can be rich in creativity and ambition. With its meticulously constructed sets and colorful witty story, Game, interrupted (d. Ilayda Iseri – Turkey), depicts two children, a brother and a sister, in their escapist sci-fi journey fueled by the ever-present absence of their parents. Backed by a score created with traditional Slavic instruments, the animated Slovenian folktale The Legend of Goldhorn (r. Lea Vucko – Slovenia) is a parable of the battle between humans and nature. The ‘haunting’ landscapes in Voulolimna, (d. Nefeli Papaioannou – Greece) reflect the diverse presence of nature, the footprint of culture, and the stories of abuse and trauma that dwell amongst them.
Marked Bodies was comprised of short films that focus on the inevitable changes occurring in our ‘vessels’ – our bodies. 5PM Seaside (d. Valentin Stejskal – Greece) is a slow-burn film about a love story – deemed forbidden by an intolerant society – between two old army comrades. The still ‘taboo’ subject of the menstrual cycle is finally addressed in the short film Cycle (d. Naz Caybaşı – Turkey), through a dreadful experience of a young girl in a small snowy village. Sigurt (d. Ben Gorani, Vlera Dani – Kosovo) sees the escalation of a family situation from safe place to abusing space, thanks to a monologue accompanied by dark images. With its minimalist drawing style, Ribs (d. Farah Hasanbegović – Belgium, Portugal, Hungary) illustrates how one can make peace with oneself and their medical conditions. Marta (d. Milorad Milatovic – Croatia) painstakingly unveils the hardships and perks of being a lone woman, especially one that goes through a traumatic first-time sexual experience. With its surreal aesthetic, Boca de Ferro (Matej Matijević – Croatia) conveys an omnipresent unsettling feeling and an eerie environment, fitting for the insurmountable anxiety felt by the protagonist.
Archived Memory featured films making use of archival footage, and/or black and white filming meant to convey experiences from the past. The animated-experimental short film XX (d. Vasja Lebarič, Julij Zornik – Slovenia), full of colors and twisted shapes, is reminiscent of Len Lye’s works and surpasses the conventions of traditional animation and storytelling. Under the Walnut Tree by Begüm Aksoy and Deya Ar (Turkey) depicts a girl whose mother suffers from bipolar disorder. Her narration is adorned with shots full of symbolism. Enxhi Noni’s Lemons and Oranges (Albania) is using archival material to undermine society’s expectations of us. With its static camera, the black and white Kome Ptice Lete (impressively directed by Ivan Petrović – Switzerland) addresses a collision between worlds and touches the topic of migration. The documentary The City That Was Not Supposed to Be on the Map (d. Klodiana Millona, Diana Malaj, Elsa Paja – Albania) reveals the cruel reality of the residents living on the outskirts of Tirana, confronted with racism and the demolitions of their homes without any compensation.
Τhe last screening session, Contact-less, featured experiences related to overcoming various types of loneliness. The moving film Dora (d. Ana Ćulum – Montenegro) tells the story of a widow who is fueled with newfound hope for life when she comes in contact with a lost dog. The masterfully crafted script, the flawless performances and the directorial approach of Kasım Ördek (Turkey) in Together, Alone (r. Kasım Ördek – Turkey) uncover the horrible mistakes people are capable of making because of the fear of being alone. I You He / She We You They (d. Sevin Yaman – Turkey) is a chilling experimental film portraying sexual abuse, gender inequality and trauma in a poetic way. In the documentary Grandma Mimi’s Christmas (d. Tsvetomir Nakov – Bulgaria), the bittersweet fate of the protagonist reflects the harsh living conditions of pensioners in Bulgaria, most of whom live in poverty. Sister (d. Dorentina Imeri – Kosovo) is a heart-melting story about a bond between two sisters, and life in a foreign country. With its impeccable acting and camera work, the big winner of the 14th BBB Festival edition, Only the Devil Hates Water (d. Lidija Mojsovska – North Macedonia), embraces the power of children’s friendship and tackles the subject of the ever-present stigmatization because of stereotypes, emphasizing underlying themes of domestic violence and gender discrimination.
Written by Oana-Miruna Balaci
Oana-Miruna Balaci is a student and film / theater critic. She collaborates with the Romanian publications LiterNet, AperiTIFF, Matca Literară and Films in Frame. She was present at the Cannes Film Festival as a journalist in 2022 and 2023. She interviewed film personalities such as Oliver Stone, Thimothy Spall, Darko Perić and Uberto Pasolini. She was an extra and casting assistant for the feature film R.M.N., by the Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, and introduced films for Les Films de Cannes à Cluj. She was a part of the jury for the 2023 GOPO Awards.