AFTERWAR

In the organizer's words:

Denmark, Finland, Kosovo, Sweden 2024 - Director: Birgitte Stærmose - Original language: Albanian - Subtitles: English - Length: 84 min.

"You think the war is over. I am just waiting for this 'AFTERWAR' to end". Two decades later, the memories of the Kosovo war at the end of the 1990s are still painful for four young people in Priština. Birgitte Stærmose accompanies the protagonists over the course of 15 years: as children they sold cigarettes, peanuts or phone cards, as adults they are looking for a new life with their own family or far away. Despite their traumatic experiences, which they report (often whispering) directly to the camera, they are now trying to find a place in society. The staged scenes created with the cast create a certain distance that stands in stark contrast to the intensity of the narrative. Anja Klauck

Note: Violence is a theme in this film

Biography

Birgitte Stærmose is an internationally recognized screenwriter and filmmaker. She studied film at the University of Copenhagen and Temple University, Philadelphia. In recent years she has directed for HBO, Starz and Netflix.

Filmography (selection)

CAMINO, DK 2023, 102 min.
DARLING, DK 2017, 103 min.
ROOM 304, DK/HR 2011, 88 min.

Nominated for the DOK.fest Award of the SOS Children's Villages worldwide