The sixth edition of Ja BiH Festival was opened at Zagreb’s café/gallery Velvet, located in Dežmanov prolaz, on Tuesday night.
I think it is safe to say that Sarajevo won Zagreb over, as many music and gastro scene lovers concluded at the opening ceremony. The festival, which officially started on Wednesday, September 27, offers various cultural and gastronomy events. Ismet Efendić, president of the Association for Promotion of Culture and Art Ja BiH…, and Ivica Propadalo, the Festival’s art director, promised that Zagreb would be filled with films and concerts, applied design exhibitions, as well as Bosnian delicacies. Curator and art historian Paola Orlić and editor of TV culture programme Vlatka Kolarović took the attendees through a world of music, food and wine at the Sarajevo Friendship Picnic.
Dramatic artist Bobo Jelčić, singer and actress Zdenka Kovačiček, actress Mirjana Mikulić, poet Enes Kišević, TV-editor Đelo Hadžiselimović, TV hosts Ines Preindl and Daniela Trbović, fashion designer Tomislav Bahorić attended the event and enjoyed the concert of singer Ana Babić and pianist Emir Mejmerić. Ana Babić’s breathtaking vocals accompanied by the sounds of piano have successfully managed to evoke the spirit of Sarajevo as a city rich in history and recognisable charm.
Founder of Klub Papica, Željka Stošić, and owner of Sofra Restaurant, Edin Hukanović, made sure that the guests stayed in a great mood until the end of the evening, proving that nothing beats tasty snacks when it comes to making people happy.
Zagreb inhabitants will have a chance to visit an exhibition by Wool Fabrique fashion brand, showcasing works by French designer of Bosnian and Herzegovinian origin, Maya Bekto, and her efforts to preserve the traditional weaving methods. The first part of a documentary series called Hoću kući (I Want to Go Home), directed by famous director Ademir Kenović, will be screened at Kinoteka. The film deals with the current topic of leaving your country and how national identity is perceived.
Other documentary films screened at Kinoteka will be Dvije škole (Two Schools) by Srđan Šarenac and Srce od drveta (Wooden Heart) by Namil Kabil. The penultimate day will be dedicated to the premiere of Posljednja barijera (The Last Barrier) by Jasmin Duraković and a concert by indie-punk-jazz band Sandy Stories, at Kolding café in Berislavićeva Street. Finally, the director and the cast of Posljednja barijera will visit the SpajaLICE Association on the last day, and there will be a concert by Barimatango group.
The Festival’s partners include HKD Napredak, the cultural society of Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its Cultural Centre.
Text by Sanja Muzaferija (TOTAL CROATIA NEWS)
