This is the first of two extracts from Ian Bancroft’s new novel, which tells of lives scarred by wars past and present and whose main characters - L., U., K., and A. - are confronted with the dilemmas of truth and justice, and the struggle to reconcile and forgive
Between the desire to document and the need to dream - this suspended territory is the realm of Ivo Danchev, one of the most talented Bulgarian photographers, who for some years has dedicated himself body and soul to documenting the tradition of the "kukeri". An interview
After starting almost by chance, over the last twenty years Vlatko Miloshevski has collected dozens of works of art created in the territories of the historical region of Macedonia in the period 1850-1950. A heritage now also accessible online
The prestigious Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival will not take place this year. The reason? The controversial decision to exclude the documentary "The Decree", which talks about a taboo topic: the consequences of the repression following the failed anti-Erdoğan coup of 2016
The musical project “Makedonissimo”, desired and created by pianist Simon Trpčeski, reinterprets the folkloric tradition of North Macedonia through classical arrangements, without forgetting the traditional dances of the region, in a mix of ancient and contemporary
In North Macedonia many rural areas have been abandoned. To bring life back to the villages, at least in the summer, cultural events are growing, like the "Galičnik wedding", which celebrates 60 years
The end of the Station and new beginnings with the Robida collective, between nostalgia, mountain sobriety, and lucid enthusiasm: the second part of a reportage from Topolò, which never ceases to be a forge of cultural and life projects despite all the difficulties, including bureaucratic ones
Bilingualism denied, espionage in families, Gladio: history on the border has left indelible marks on the present of Topolò, a town on the Italian-Slovenian border where, also thanks to European funds, attempts are being made to build a future. First part of a reportage
In Trieste, the border between Italy and Slovenia crosses the Carso. For some it is a dream territory, for others a nightmare. Interview with Matteo Calore, Stefano Collizzolli, Andrea Segre – the directors of the documentary "Trieste è bella di notte", premiered at the Trieste Film Festival
"Our job is not to 'correct' people or to tell them what to think, rather we should be able to offer a credible idea of a future together". Mykhailo Glubokyi is one of the organisers of the Izolyatsia cultural space, founded in Donetsk and then moved to Kyiv. We interviewed him
Bozcaada has hosted an ecological documentary film festival for nine years now. A community-building cultural initiative that is of crucial importance in today's repressive climate in Turkey. We were there from 12 to 16 of October
Durmitor National Park is located in the northwestern part of Montenegro, bordering Bosnia and Herzegovina. Opened in 1952, it includes the massif of the same name. In 1977 the area and the long gorge of the Tara river, which winds through the park, were designated as a UNESCO biological reserve, while in 1980 the park was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
As violence against women continues to rise in Turkey and the government targets activist organisations seeking to prevent femicide, a blockbuster film about a slain 1980s singer is forcing the country to grapple with its past and present abuse of women’s rights
"(Umetnica) mora biti zdrava" [(The artist) must be healthy] is the warning and call to everyone's responsibility on the subject of health launched by Serbian artist Konstrakta, who will perform on the stage of the next "Eurovision Song Contest" of Turin. We interviewed her
A recent intimidation campaign against Sezen Aksu, the queen of Turkish music, has highlighted how artists as well as politicians, journalists, and activists are subjected to censorship and pressure from power in the country
"Jovanka Broz – in colour" is the title of the exhibition that was inaugurated last week at the Belgrade headquarters of the Serbian Radio Television and which will be open until November 30th
Italian maritime republics such as Venice and Genoa were very active in the Black Sea between the 13th and 15th century. Their presence in Abkhazia and their involvement in the slave trade from the Western Caucasus are the main subjects of a recently published book
Georgia looks to Italy for cultural development programmes – an almost thirty-year collaboration that this year finds a new, promising impulse. And from now on, when you visit Tbilisi, you will come across Dante
Djordje Balasevic (11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021), the greatest Yugoslav singer-songwriter, is gone forever. Almost all of former Yugoslavia joined in grief: Zagreb, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Skopje, from Vardar to Triglav
The Turkish TV series Ethos (Bir Başkadır), launched by Netflix, is enjoying enormous success in Turkey, but also abroad. Through its complex characters, the country looks itself in the mirror, suspended over the invisible moat that separates the religious part of society from the beyaz türkler – the westernised, secular "white" Turks
Starting from those moments of precipitous flight towards the Neretva, the first long feature directed by Daniele Babbo shows both the love for a city and how hard it is to live in it. An interview
A violent earthquake hit Turkey and Greece on October 30th. The fury of the ancient god Poseidon, whom Homer called 'the Earth shaker', has also shaken the memories that accompany - lacerating and nostalgic - the choral lament for the victims
Nothing would suggest a local jazz tradition in Azerbaijan. Yet it is a genre that has developed, from the 1920s onwards, despite the Soviet period and the difficulties of the transition
Times of crisis generate pulp characters, immersed in the need for action, armed with a realist language and no frills. An interview with Greek writer Makis Malafekas, author of “Athens Undocumented”
A brothel turned into rehearsal studio: this is one of the images that best describe Georgia's punk scene of the last 30 years. A reportage among punk and metal teenage fans, with photos, videos, and a coming soon documentary
Writer and journalist Saša Ilić was awarded the prestigious NIN literary prize for best novel of the year in 2019. We interviewed him and talked about psychiatry, Yugoslavia, the Divine Comedy, and refugees
