Public debate “Culture Beyond Nationality”

Faculty of Arts, University in Prishtina ... May 31, 2017, 11h

Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia is organizing a public debate “Culture Beyond Nationality” within our Serbia and Kosovo: Intercultural Icebreakers program. The speakers will be artists and cultural workers from Serbia and Kosovo:

Ismet Sijarina, film director

Burbuqe Berisha, film director

Aleksandra Đurić Bosnić, culturologist

The debate will take place on May 31, 2017 at 11 am at the Faculty of Arts in Prishtina:

Universiteti i Prishtinës

Fakulteti i Arteve

Rr. "Nëna Terezë" pn.

Salla: Art Center

Simultaneous translation will be provided.

Below find out more about our speakers at the debate. We hope to see you!

Ismet Sijarina is a filmmaker highly motivated to establish a new era of filmmaking in Kosovo. Devoted Professor in University of Prishtina, Film Directing Program with large experience in field of film and Television production and founder of Thumbs UP Creative Agency and co-founder of Multimedia NGO. Since the beginning of his study in the faculty of fine arts, branch of filmmaking, 1998 he began his directing career, directing many short films, documentaries, music videos etc. He's projects “Beyond the rainbow” and first low budget feature film "AMA DOREN" (Hold my hand eng.) which were greatly accepted by audience and critics (articles published in Kosovo daily's as well as international reviews) showed that Ismet brought an original and auteur approach. His projects were shown, in lot of European film festivals, such as Karlovy Vary film fest (students’ competition 2002), Sarajevo film fest, Dogma film fest, Cinema tout ecran, Pink apple film festival, Tirana international film festival, Nine eleven dedication film festival, Rome international film fest (USA), Durres international Summer fest, Prifilm fest, Dokufest etc. In 2010 Ismet was selected for program supported by US government “Film in US”, where together with 16 other young filmmakers from whole the world he went through intensive courses on filmmaking on United states of America as well as his films where screened in different places during this program such as MOMA New York etc. Currently he works as an Associated Professor, in The University of Prishtina, Faculty of Fine Arts. As young artist, he is considered to have brought a fresh and different approach on filmmaking in Kosovo. Ismet is deeply engaged in film industry in Kosovo as he used to be member of board of Kosovo Cinematography Center, Artistic director of Nine Eleven Film Festival, and Currently Executive Director at Thumbs Up. Presently involved in pre- production phase of his 2nd feature film “The Dossier Man” supported on 2015 call by Kosovo Cinematography Center.

Burbuqe Berisha has finished Bachelor and Master Degree at the Faculty of Arts, Department of Film Directing at the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” in Prishtina. She has created a number of short films and documentaries, TV serials, theater performances and won several international awards in film and theater festivals. For a year and a half, she has worked as a manager at ABC Cinema in Pristina for four years as a producer in KosovaFilm, also for four years as General Director of the National Theatre and a member of the Managing Board of the CCK, as well as member of the ensemble “Shota”. In many film festivals, she has been a member of international professional jury. It is currently u.d. Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication and Journalism at AAB College, director of AAB Theatre “Faruk Begolli”, and a member of the Governing Council of the Professional Theatre of Gjakova.

Aleksandra Đurić Bosnić was born in 1965 in Pančevo (Vojvodina, Serbia). She graduated from the Faculty of Philology, MA from Faculty of Philosophy and PhD from Faculty of Dramatic Arts. She was coordinator at the Creative center “Mediteran” and PR manager for the National Theatre in Podgorica (Montenegro) from 1992 to 1999, and she was editor of the first and second monograph of Podgorica’s International Alternative Theatre Festival (FIAT) and author of numerous theatrical criticisms in “Odbrana”, “Monitor” and “Vijesti”. She was founder of the Centre for Intercultural Communication (NGO) in Novi Sad (2012). Since 2013 she has been the member of the jury for the award “Medijakult” (award for media design of Vojvodina’s cultural space) and the Annual Price of the Cultural Institute of Vojvodina for the contribution to multiculturalism and interculturalism. Since 2015 she has been the program editor for the Council for the Preservation of Radomir Konstantinović’s Contemplative Heritage (Subotica). She has published drama “Poslednji orden” (The Last Decoration), Dignitas, Cetinje, 1996, the collections of essays “Po-etička traganja” (Poetic Searches), Kulturni centar Pančevo, 2008, monograph “Poetika tamnog vilajeta – Radomir Konstantinović o duhu palanke u srpskoj književnosti” (Poetic of Dark Vilayet – Radomir Konstantinović about the Small Town’s Spirit in Serbian Literature), Službeni glasnik, Beograd, 2011, monograph “Kultura nacije: Između krvi i tla” (Culture of Nation: Between Blood and Soil), University Press, Sarajevo, 2016. and numerous research papers. She is columnist Autonomia.info.