Sarajevo film festival. Great experience
Trip Start
Aug 16, 2008
1
2
7
Trip End
Aug 27, 2008
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
I arrived last Saturday around 16:00 at Sarajevo Airport. When our plane landed we were greeted by a firetruck which started to hose our plane. The pilot said that we shouldn't be scared of the truck... "It is a typical way to welcome new visitors to Sarajevo". Funny...
Note:
There is no public transport to and from Sarajevo airport. Do not take a taxi to the city center, you will pay too much. (20 - 40km = 10 - 20 euro) Instead pay 6-8km (3 - 4 euro) to go to the nearest tram stop. (called, STUP) From there get on line 3 to the city center. That line costs only 1.80km. (=0.90 euro)
In total you should get to the city center for max 5 euro which is much better than the taxi rates
German Wings flies to Sarajevo now.
.So, i first went to the hostel to drop my stuff and then went on to find the box office of the festival. I found it quite fast and the first thing i heard was that all movies are subtitled in English! What a relief! I also managed to buy tickets for almost every single movie i want to see. Right now i have a total of 19 tickets on my desk. I hope to buy another one or two tomorrow, so i can pass 20. :)
The fees for the movies are super cheap. Most vary from 4km to 7km. Which is 2.00 to 3.50 Euro! WOW! I would go to cinema much more often when prices are like that in Holland....
Funny thing as well: just around the corner of the main festival square, people are selling bootlegs of the latest movies. lol.
The locations where you can watch the movies are awesome. There is a super big open air cinema, sponsored by Heineken :D . I saw 'Gomorra' there last night (very good new Italian mafia film) and the place was PACKED with, i think, around 1000 people!!
Welcome back to Sarajevo, Chris
!Here is a list of the movies i have got tickets for now!
Girls 2008 Hungary
Gomorra 2008 Italy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0929425/ <-- very good
The Seeker 2008 Slovenia/Bosnia . Film about a man who searches for mass graves of the
victims from the Srebrenica massacre
The Fourth Man 2007 Serbia
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0930856/
Hunger 2008 UK/Ireland
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0986233/ <-- about the IRA, impressive film.
Competition shorts 1 + 2
The Red Carpet in front of National Theatre
. About 12 shorts from Eastern Europe. Either Animation or Art house.We have never been to Venice 2008 Slovenia
***I have seen the above ones so far.. the next few days i will see...***
Travelling with Pets 2007 Russia http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1047845/
Calle Santa Fe 2007 Chile http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038904/
Walty With Bashir 2008 Israel http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185616/ <-- this film
got raving critis on cannes 2008. I am really
looking forward. It is about the Israel - lebanon war
My Tickets
.My Winnipeg 2007 Canada http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1093842/
P.V.C -1 2007 Colombia http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1031951/ <--looks good
Los Bastardos 2007 Mexico http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0841922/ <-- looks good too
Boogie 2008 Romania http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132578/
Srebrenica's Cenotaph 2008 Bosnia
Divorce Albanian style 2008 Albania
If you are watching this mum 2008 Bosnia (another film about Srebrenica)
Buick Riviera 2008 Croatia http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0995712/
Snow 2008 Bosnia http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1146295/
Looks good eh?
I will update with some more stories tomorrow and also post pictures
Heineken Open Air Cinema
.=================
update : (Aug 20)
Yesterday was really though. I have watched four movies.. Travelling with pets (Russian art house film) , Calle Santa Fe, Waltz With Bashir (very good film) and some film from the 80s. At night i went to a Bosnia party. There was an orchestra (Kocani Orchestra) playing for two hours and the last few hours were Balkanbeats. The Bosnian were going crazy all night. It was great to see and experience. I have visited a lot of other bars and clubs... here's a complete list:
Hacienda
Havana
Barka
Pirat
Kiborg
Quadro
Central
Club Jez (nice underground club with electro,minimal,house, but also traditional music)
Tabu
Alfonso
Club Boemie (nice underground club with electro,minimal,house)
Club Retro
Club Incognito
Colosseum Club
Heineken Open Air Cinema at night 1
.City Pub (very crowded)
And close to the National Theatre square there are two bars which are PACKED every night.
There is a big hall close to the Olympic stadium which hosts clubnights from time to time. And next to the colosseum club there is also a big event hall which, during the festival, is called Heineken Music stage. :)
Kiborg,Central,Quadro,City Pub,Club Jez are all located in the same street called: Ferhadija. The Colosseum, Heineken Stage and Club Boemie are close to the Hiseta/Valtera Penca road. Can't be missed really.
Most of these bars can be found in the city centre. Just ask some locals and they will guide you.
But i also have to say something negative now. I do not recommend to go to Sarajevo during summer. The place is -flooded- with tourists
Heineken Open Air Cinema Packed
. It really sucks. I sometimes get the feeling i am not in Bosnia but in America, England or Australia. Also i feel, because of the many tourists, the Bosnian approach of hospitality is much less. I have decided to skip Mostar and Neum for this trip. (i suspect it will be flooded with tourists there as well) I will go to Tuzla, Brcko this Friday to visit some Bosnian relatives. I can also stay at their house, have dinner, live the Bosnian way.... so i am really looking forward. :) It really sucks to have so many tourists around here. Luckily my main purpose is the film festival this time.. and not Sarajevo itself...I will leave Haris Youth Hostel tomorrow and stay at Hostel Posselipo. Haris is way too crowded atm. People keep walking in and out, at night... so sometimes i can hardly sleep. He has stacked the place with beds.. sleeping with 9 people in 16m2 is no fun. And there is three rooms like this!
More later.. and i still plan to upload some nice pictures. :)
Good to know: The weather is very hot at day, but cold (10 degrees) at night. Be sure to have some long trousers with you and a jacket. I am glad i did not forget them. :)
Comments
Hellow
Hey Chris,
good to read your stories again. I can imagine that so many tourists around take away the authentic experience that you're longing for.. Hope you have a great time with the local friends and get in real touch with Bosnian ways again... Much love, Njoy and take care xxxxxxxxxx Rienie