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Village of the Forgotten Widows

A Documentary that remembers the forgotten widows of Srebrenica 15 years after the massacre

The Story

15 years ago Thousands of men, young and old, lost their lives during a massacre that started on the 11th July 1995. This massacre has now officially been recognised as Genocide by prominent genocide researchers and NGO groups. Kofi Annan (the seventh Secretary-Genera of the United Nations) also regards it as The tragedy of Srebrenica will forever haunt the history of the United Nations. Srebrenica victims number from 7000 to 8000, or more, according to different reports.

These thousands of men left behind wives, mothers and daughters. These are the forgotten victims of the Bosnian War. These women were displaced then, and remain displaced. They were forgotten then, and yet they remain forgotten. This documentary will ensure these women and the lives lost will never be forgotten.

The Documentary will introduce many of the Srebrenica widows, and we will learn their plight and discover what life is like for them today. For some widows, they lost husband and sons, fathers, brothers and Cousins during the horrendous days of killing. We will speak with prominent Srebrenica and Genocide activists. We will travel to Holland to try to meet with ex UN Soldiers workers that were there, on the ground, during the massacre. We will also attempt to speak with Bosnian and Serb officials to try and see what they have to say, 15 years on.

We will also be employing local Bosnian musicians to produce a original and unique soundtrack.

What people are saying about the Srebrenica Massacre: Serb forces "targeted for extinction the 40,000 Bosnian Muslims living in Srebrenica." - Judge Theodor Meron [Polish-American Jew], Krstic Appeal judgement.

In 2002, Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok said as he announced his administration's sudden resignation:"However, today's decision does reflect the shared responsibility of the Netherlands for the creation of a situation in which such an event was able to occur. The international community is anonymous and cannot take responsibility. I can and do take that responsibility."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,232505,00.html#ixzz123AOwobJ

"Dutch commanders and their troops were cowards," says Abram de Swaan, a professor at Amsterdam University who has written extensively on Srebrenica. "By extension, the entire Dutch nation are cowards." De Swaan's view is still shared by many Dutch.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,232505,00.html#ixzz123BLfkV4



We have some very exciting parties that have come onboard for this project. Please stay tuned for further details on this.

 

 Who are we?

Our team is made up of Australians, Bosnians, Germans and Canadians. We are all linked to Bosnia in a different way and find the plight of the Srebrenica widows, a long overlooked issue.

 

Director - Alexander Herget-Mehic has worked in the Film industry for the past 8 years and is the son of a Bosnian immigrant. Alex spent summers in Bosnia and speaks the language fluently. He feels compelled to tell the story of these women and is in a position to be able to make a difference.


Producer/ Researcher- Anne Mason has worked in the Film industry for 8 years and is also linked to Bosnia through her husband and children. After visiting Bosnia regularly over the past four years, she became so moved by the stories of the survivors of the Bosnian war that she knew she should contribute. Anne has created a skilled and passionate team and aims to create a documentary that illustrates the plight of the widows of Srebrenica.

 

Writer/ Researcher - Erin Rutherford is a writer of social, Islamic and women's issues. Erin has been interested in the Bosnian issues for some time and was introduced to the project by Alexander Herget-Mehic. She is pleased to be able to make an impact on the lives the widows of the Srebrenica Genocide at a grassroots level. Erins work is published in an Australia newspaper Crescent Times and continues to convey information on issues regarding women and victims of the Bosnian war.


Production Co-ordinator - Kassandra Skoulikides has joined the production to assist with co-ordinating and production management. Kassandra is passionate about giving these women a voice.

 

Translator - Damir Begic is Bosnian, Hospitality Technician by education and is senior student of English Language and Literature at the University of Tuzla. Most of the time doing freelancing, currently involved in a documentary project as an interpretor/translator.


The Impact

 

This documentary will demonstrate the impact of the war and the effects it has on the survivors. In particular it will highlight the suffering of the widows of the Srebrenica Massacre. Now 15 years on, these women are still displaced and there has seemingly been no justice served.

 

By donating to get this documentary up and running, you are helping to give these women a voice.


What We Need

 

We need to raise $15,000 in order to produce our feature length documentary entitled The Village of the Forgotten Widows. The documentary details the lives of the Srebrenica widows.

We will use the funds to pay for

  • Travel & Accommodation
  • Translator
  • Editor
  • Post Production
  • Crew
  • Local Assistance

Other Ways You Can Help

You can suggest this project to everyone in your address book; pass the word on about this documentary. Documentaries like this can make a difference and the more awareness we raise about this ongoing issue, means change for these women.

Simply copy this link to your facebook, twitter, myspace or any other social networking site you belong to and get this documentary noticed.

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