In 2016, the ex-Yugoslav Navy flagship Vis was deliberately sunk in order to turn it into a scuba diving attraction in Croatia. The ship lies on the seabed of the waters close to Brijuni Islands where in 1956 Nasser, Nehru and Tito met to discuss their opposition to the Cold War and the formation of the Non-aligned Movement. By employing visually impressive shots, the film establishes a signature spatial and temporal narrative, at the same time entering the space of fusion of personal and collective memory and dismemory, which, in the context of political and economic changes that have been occurring in Croatian society for the past several decades, acquire metaphorical and symbolic meanings, imbued with powerful socio-psychological implications.
The video installation entitled Partenza (Italian for departure, and used in many of Croatia’s island and coastal dialects) express the global insecurity of contemporary society and the fragility of human existence. Metaphorically, they address a story about departure, waiting and separation, dictated by migrations. In the early 20th century, it was usual yet traumatic for men to leave Croatian islands (mostly bound for the countries of South America) due to poverty and hunger. One of these tragic stories is weaved into the author’s family history. The installation is inspired by the life story of Renata’s great-grandmother who lived on the island of Brač, whose husband went to Chile looking for work in order to secure his family’s future. Like many of the island’s women, she waited for her husband who, like many of the men, never returned.
Filipova djevojka Ana
ZG80 is a prequel of Metastaze. The movie brings back its characters to prewar Yugoslavia where they, as part of Bad Blue Boys, go on a football match in Belgrade to see Dinamo play against Crvena Zvezda. They encounter guest fans, their arch rivals Delije, in a series of events that lead to football fans war on the streets of Belgrade.
