3. Café Europa Westbalkan | Mirroring society/editing reality

How does film art manage to comment on, but also criticise socio-political processes? How do we benefit from this approach of art? What can we learn from it?
Discuss these and further questions on the function of film art as a reflector of
society and shaper of reality with our international guests on the virtual panel.

„And … action!“ On 10th February 2022, the discussion series „Café Europa Westbalkan“ will enter its second year – this time, due to COVID, exclusively online and supplemented by a special experience from the repertoire of Austrian film.

The third edition of „Café Europa Westbalkan“ is a cooperation between Diagonale – Festival of Austrian film and Land Steiermark and focuses on (film) art and its significance for socio-political developments in the Western Balkans and Styria.

The (international) guests on the panel: Linda Llulla Gashi, Executive Director of DokuFest Prizren (International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Kosovo), and Senad Halilbašić, Austrian screenwriter, dramaturge and theatre scholar of Bosnian origin. Moderated by Armina Galijas from the Centre for Southeast European Studies at Graz University, they will address, among other questions, the issue of how (film) art accompanies, comments on and criticises social processes, and can contribute to a society’s identification with itself.

Panellist Senad Halilbašić will appear in a „double role“, since he is also the scriptwriter of the film „Korida“, which the audience can stream via the  Kino VOD Club using an electronic voucher code after the online discussion.

As the contingent of voucher codes is limited, the Land Steiermark requests online registration – the principle of „first come, first serve“ applies. Registered participants will receive the voucher code per email two days before the event.

Guests on the panel:

• Linda Llulla GASHI, Executive director of DokuFest Prizren, Kosovo (International Documentary and Short Film Festival)
• Senad HALILBAŠIĆ, Austrian screenwriter („Korida“, „7500“), dramaturge and theatre scholar of Bosnian origin

Words of welcome:

• Christopher DREXLER, Styrian State Minister for Culture, Europe, Sports
• Sebastian HÖGLINGER and Peter SCHERNHUBER, Diagonale directorate

Moderated by Armina GALIJAŠ, Centre for Southeast European Studies at Graz University

Plus: View the documentary feature „Korida“, co-written by panellist Senad Halilbašić, per video on demand after the discussion –  registration required.