Identity and Conflict in the Balkans

1
Identity and Conflict in the Balkans

• Seventh Week, Tuesday

2
Announcements

• Exams and papers on Thursday
• Lecture, film showing last Thursday

3
Religion in Romania

• Christianity (Orthodoxy, Protestantism,
  Catholicism)

4
Hall, Part I

• How do Croats regard Slovenes?
• How do Croats regard Serbs?
• Attitudes change, relations change toward the end
  of the section
• What happened?

5
Hall, Part II

• What is it like for Hall as he enters Serbia?
• What is Serbia like?
• How does Halls account differ from Kaplans?
• Beograd so much history, so much destruction

6
Serbia long literary and cultural heritage

• Cultural-political meaning lost battle must be
  avenged forces of good vs. evil
• Be patient accept suffering revolt redemption

7
Macedonia Ottoman Occupation in the Background

• Conquered in 1389
• 19th century Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria make
  claims on Macedonian territory
• Independence movements around turn of century
  (1900)
• Partitioned by Treaty of London in 1913 Greece,
  Bulgaria, Serbia, and Albania

8
Before and After Partition (1913)
9
Post-WWI

• Greece actively promoting Greek-ness of
  Macedonia
• Numerous independence activities
• WWII Nazi Bulgaria occupied Macedonia
• Resistance efforts independent Macedonia (in
  part)
• Not recognized by Greece

10
Republic of Macedonia 1991

• Name issues with Greece
• Officially The Former Yugoslav Republic of
  Macedonia
• Problems with Albania too origins, original
  territory rights
• Refugee problems

11
Leaders Today

• President Branko Crvenkovski
• Prime minister Vlado Buckovski

12
Skopje Bridge over Vardar
13
Churches
14
Mosques
15
Film Before the Rain

• "Before the Rain refers to the feeling of heavy
  expectation, when the skies are pregnant with the
  possibility of an outburst, when the people are
  silent, waiting for a tragedy of cleansing,"
  writer/director Milcho Manchevski
• 1994 directed by Milcho Manchevski
• Rade erbedia
• Macedonia-Great Britain

16
Milcho Manchevski
17
Film Before the Rain

• Novice Kiril discovers visitor
• Murder suspect-fugitive-Albanian
• Relatives of victimsearch
• Violence
• Suspense

18
Eastern Orthodoxy

• Orthodox churches
• Icons, iconostasis
• Monastic life
• Macedonian setting

19
Language and culture differences

• Macedonian Orthodox
• Macedonian Muslim/Albanian
• Different languages
• Peaceful coexistence?
• Identity language, religious label (not
  doctrine), heritage

20
Human message (so far)

• Violence close to the surface
• Children, ninja games, bullets in the fire
• Macedonian men seeking revenge random violence
  (against cat)
• Rain coming
• Garden provides sustenance (tomatoes given to
  girl)
• Monks offer protection

21
Film

• Narrative devices
• Unconventional chronology

22
Rain-2

• Kiril and Zamira are discovered
• Kiril is kicked out of the monastery
• Kiril and Zemfira leave together
• Zemfiras grandfather and brothers/cousins find
  them
• Zemfira tries to leave with Kiril and is killed
  by her brother

23
Rain 3

• Section section (Faces first was Words)
• Anne showers, weeping
• Anne finds out shes pregnant
• Anne meets her mother
• Alexander joins them
• Alex and Anne in the taxi

24
Rain 4

• Be ready for narrative surprises, shifts in
  chronology
• Violence continues why?