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Beyond These Narrow Borders
Seedlings of Peace Summer Camp in the Balkans
A video journey into reconciliation in a post war region…

Available in DVD only

TRT - 40:35 or 11:30 minutes.
Original format - Mini DV
Languages - English & Serbo/Croatian
Subtitles - English, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, German

Director's Statement
I began this documentary project after having an unexpected and extraordinary experience as a guest and participant in the "Seedlings of Peace Summer Camp" in the summer of 2002. I have been involved in peace and reconciliation work for many years, both as a documentary producer, musician, and trainer in many troubled regions, but have rarely been engulfed in such beauty, heart, and dedication to healing as with this project and those who run it tirelessly and with little to no funding. The palpable feelings of pain and suffering felt by so many in the region, and the response by this small NGO and its founder Branka Drabek Milekic, has been and continues to be a humbling and heart opening gift in my life. It is my sincere hope that "Beyond These Narrow Borders" manages to express the heart and soul in the experience of this project, over information, as this is truly what is profound about this NGO, its staff, and its mission.

This video has been a labor of love, and has been produced, like the project on which it hopes to depict, with very little funding and a lot of help from many talented and skilled people who gave a great deal to make this video possible. I am very grateful to everyone who was involved in this production, and trust "Beyond These Narrow Borders" will at least serve as a pool to dip into for those of us who were privileged to take part in the Seedlings of Peace Summer Camp.

Synopsis
"Beyond These Narrow Borders" follows the experiences of youth participating in the "Seedlings of Peace Summer Camp" in the Balkans. This project brings together youth from all sides of pre-war Yugoslavia to Latinovac, a small village in Croatia, to learn skills in the areas of Compassionate Listening, Non-Violent Communication, mediation, creative problem solving and cultural awareness. The rural surroundings, supportive staff, and techniques learned in listening and communicating, combine to create a "safe container" for the participating youth to express and receive each other's views and experiences. It has become clear that peace-building activities among youth in the region are critical to a lasting peace in the future. The existing situation of social divisions according to ethnicity after the war has left segregated youth with few joint activities and little or no contact. Hatred, prejudice, and stereotypes are still very common and even growing through a lack of contact and interaction as well as from the history of violence during the war. Beyond These Narrow Borders is an extraordinary voyage into healing and reconciliation and reflects the spirit in this rich region of South East Europe.

The Video's Mission
This video has two major purposes;

One is to be a fundraising tool and build awareness around the world for the project.

• This NGO, (Non Government Organization), is in a very critical stage of its development, and we are in the process of raising the seed money needed to bring the project into self-sustainability. This is greatly aided by the existence of a strong and moving video that shows the issues from the mouths of the youth involved, and most importantly, the impact of the project on their lives and the region.

Secondly, this video will be a strong tool for awareness and reconciliation in the region.

• The segregation and isolation facing most of the region is acute and there is little support for a program that brings youth together from all three sides of the war. The shooting has stopped, but the trauma is immense, and there is often little understanding for the work we are doing or its need. This video illustrates what is possible; reminds people of the time when they did live together, and offers an alternative to the attitudes that permeate the much of the region.

• A short version has been produced, (11:30), for use as a companion to grant proposals, for short presentations of the project, and to be used as part of a larger format of presentations with other NGO's.
• The full edit , (TRT 40:35), is for film festivals, broadcast, longer format presentations and sale to institutions and individuals.

"Seedlings of Peace Camp" - more info