Spomenik Database Video Archive
Other Video Content
This is section of the Video Archive is to exhibit additional content which is doesn't fall into any of the other listed categories. This may include historical footage, news clips, interviews, recordings of ceremonial events, and other such content that is directly related to the history or heritage of the abstract WWII (NOB) monuments (or 'spomeniks') of the former Yugoslavia. My inclusion of any particular videos here is not necessarily an endorsement of them... I simply aim to include a wide variety of content here for educational purposes. If you know of a video that might be appropriate in this section, please contact me.
Spomenik Kamensko [1973]
This is a historical video which documents a on-the-ground view of a tourist visiting the Kamenska monument site in 1973. What is notable about this structure is that it was destroyed in the early 1990s, so the only chance to see the monument is in such videos. However, very few such videos of this site exist, so this video provides a rare opportunity to witness the monument still standing during a time period where it existed and was in good shape. The video is interesting in that it not only shows what the monument appeared to look like up close, but it also shows what it looked like perched on the hillside from a great distance away. The video has no sound and no narration to accompany it.
Miodrag Živković: Autor Spomenika Bitke na Sutjesci [2018]
This video is a news interview with Miodrag Živković at the Sutjeska monument site (located in the Zelengora mountains of Bosnia), just a few days after a devastating landslide struck the hillside in which the monument sits on top of. The event occurred in February of 2018. In the video, Živković discusses his feelings about the event and his hopes that something can be done to repair and rehabilitate the site. The video is presented in the Serbian language and does not include any subtitles.
Sai cos'è #Spomenik? [2017]
This video is a set of on-the-street interviews with the random members of the Italian public asking them what they know about the WWII (NOB) monuments of the former Yugoslavia, created by a trio-team called 'Spomenik Fuorirotta' [website]. This group is assembling a reportage project around the monuments to explore their cultural legacy and their present-day impact on those who live across the region. In this pursuit, the team will also engage in various art projects, interviews, photo series and other types of documentation/reporting styles all in an attempt to further understand and communicate their meaning and history. Their website describes their efforts as "a personal tale of a journey to rediscover something lost in the past though ever present".
Partizansko groblje [2011]
This video appears to be some nature of news report by the NGO called AbrašMEDIA [website] which explores the history and the current state of the Mostar Partisan Cemetery in Mostar, Bosnia. What is interesting about this video is it highlights the very degraded and decaying state that the monument existed in around the early 2010s. Many interesting video shots of the monument are shown in the piece, as well as an ample amount of information about the creator of the monument, Bogdan Bogdanović. This video is presented in the Bosnian language without any embedded subtitles.
'Kontekst: Antifašistički spomenici Balkana' by AlJazeera [2017]
This video is a studio interview segment with documentary film director Irena Škorić, creator of the 'Unwanted Heritage' documentary about Yugoslav monuments. Also interviewed in this segment are two members of NOB veteran groups who commemorate and preserve these monuments. The topic of this interview is Škorić's monument documentary and the process and effort she put into creating it, along with discussion between the group about the state of decay of WWII monuments in Croatia. This segment is presented in the Croatian language without and subtitles.
'Monumental Sculptures of Socialist Yugoslavia in Kosovo' by ForumZFD [2013]
This video is a catalog of shots from a 2013 field tour and symposium of WWII (NOB) monuments of the former Yugoslavia which were located across present-day Kosovo. The field tour was given by monument enthusiast Marko Krojač, with the program organized by the Center for Contemporary Arts Priština and German-based ForumZFD group. The video of the tour showcases some of the more dilapidated and ruined monuments of the region, highlighting the dire condition in which many of them exist.
Bogdan Bogdanović-Student Exibit 'City & Death' by Aleksandar Bobic [2011]
This video is a hand-held walk through by YouTube user Aleksandar Bobic of a 2011 student exhibition "City and Death - Grad i smrt" at the Museum of Yugoslav History in Belgrade, which deals with the "role and influence of Bogdan Bogdanović in public spaces". The exhibit, which shows the work of students from the University of Belgrade, is shown through the video to contain a vast array of interesting exhibits which not only interpret the work of Bogdanović, but are also inspired by his designs and monuments. For more information on this show, as well as more videos of it, visit the feature article about it at "Public Art & Public Space".
'Bogdan Bogdanović interview' by Ivan Mirkovski & Ines Tolic [2008]
This video is an segment from a interview with Bogdan Bogdanović, creator of some of the most well known and recognizable Yugoslav WWII (NOB) monuments. This interview, conducted by Ivan Mirkovski & Ines Tolic, was filmed at Bogdanović's apartment in Belgrade, Serbia in 2008, just two years before his death. During the interview Bogdanović discusses his monuments, the city design of Skopje and other personal thoughts. This interview is presented in Serbian without any embedded subtitles.
'Beck's Legendary - Croatia Infiltration' by Beck's Beer - Croatia [2019]
This is a short 2 minute promotional video made and sponsored by Beck's Beer - Croatia. The video focuses on the urban exploration group Croatia Infiltration entering and walking through the ruined remains of the Monument to the Uprising in Petrova Gora, Croatia, which was created in 1981 by sculptor Vojin Bakić. In addition, the team members of Croatia Infiltration discuss the history of the location and the monument, while also talking about their experiences and feelings through the process of exploring the ruins of the Petrova Gora site. Impressive drone footage of the monument highlights the video.