07/08/2022

The variety of topics that come through the DokuTalks discussions explore a wide range of areas. Although it may sound like discussions about the environment and agriculture are not strongly connected with cinematography and art, as both of them share the same space, they therefore become organic parts of each other.
This Sunday afternoon, the backyard of "Shani Efendi" hosted friends from the "Manifesta" Biennial of Nomadic Contemporary Art, which has been holding its 14th edition in Pristina for several weeks now. A panel consisting of 3 artists among them the artistic director of "DokuFest" Veton Nurkollari, the curator of "Manifesta" 14, Catherine Nichols and Jumana Manna, simultaneously sculptor and author of the book and documentary "Wild Relatives" participating in "DokuFest".
"Landscapes of repair and resistance" was the theme that, being triggered by Manna's creations and concepts in two different mediums, stimulated a very valuable discussion among the panelists and not only, thus reinforcing the concept of the connection between the "Manifesta" and "DokuFest". This connection is the Earth and the need to preserve it.
"I visited Pristina for the first time last August and met Nita Deda there who introduced me to "DokuFest". From that day I knew that I needed and wanted to be at this festival. I know the impact of such festivals and I see the impact of "Manifesta" especially on the landscape. The landscape is a point that connects us both, but especially this year that the "Manifesta" is based on reconstruction and repair. I am very happy to work in a common direction, as is the main theme of "DokuFest", "How to survive?". Both of these topics have essentially resistance", said the curator of "Manifesta" Catherine Nichols at the opening.
While the artist Jumana Manna in her speech singled out infrastructure as an aspect, as a connecting bridge between the two mediums in which she creates and, in a slightly more indirect way, two festivals.
"I make films and sculptures as two separate things, but if we have a connection between the two, it is infrastructure. What I'm really interested in is definitely following the change and seeing how these landscapes change day by day."
Regarding this discussion, Veton Nurkollari also focused on the close connection of the two festivals with each other, presenting the concept "How to survive?" and the process of expanding this theme as the refrain of "DokuFest".
"During the long meetings in which we discussed this year's theme, we noticed that as a result of the films we had, the theme could be clearer than ever before. Based on the cinematic products we had, the theme would be about survival, and how to survive. Maybe not to solve it, but to reflect on this topic", said Veton Nurkollari.
This panel discussion was able to raise a lot of questions among the attendees, which, as Nurkollari also expressed, probably did not get a solution, but perhaps received attention that was lacking until now.

By Ana Haxhimali

Photo Credits: Agon Dana