“The Fog of Srebrenica” film screening event – Altrincham Interfaith Group 6th July 2021

This award-winning film was screened via zoom to members of Altrincham Interfaith Group to coincide with the 26th Anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide and told the story of survivors of the only holocaust in Europe since World War Two. 8,372 mainly Muslim Bosnian men and boys were killed in one week by Serbian soldiers. The film contained personal narratives of survivors, contrasted by hauntingly beautiful landscapes and horrifying archive.

It was certainly a harrowing experience to watch, not only to hear the impact on survivors of having all their family killed but to actually see footage of men with bound hands being told to disembark from lorries at rifle-point, instructed to say their prayers and then lie face down on the ground to be shot. That is an image that I will never forget. It was dreadful to see Serbs turning on their neighbours having previously lived together peacefully, the despair of mothers who could not protect their children. Srebrenica became like a concentration camp with no food or medicine, people starving and dying in the street, while the Serbs were bombing and confiscating food before it reached them. Now, the Serbs are teaching that it never happened, trying to sweep it under the carpet, while people are still campaigning for justice.

After the film, there was a wide-ranging discussion with the Director, Samir Mehanovic.

There is a stark message here. Hatred and intolerance can flare up anywhere and flourish if left unchallenged, and we must take action against hate wherever we see it. We must speak out against prejudice to avoid such an appalling situation happening again and we must never be complacent. We must build strong communities, for no ethnic group can isolate itself and live on its own – we must learn to live together, something we at Altrincham Interfaith Group try hard to achieve.

You can watch the film at https://vimeo.com/185957639

Carolyn Jones (Hon. Sec., Altrincham Interfaith Group)