Movie Screenng: 

Stigme (2023) Directed by: Zdenko Jurilj

Speakers: 

Jakub Novosad and Kateřina Králová

Explore the themes of collective memory and ideological stigma in the Western Balkans with the Student Club of the Institute of International Studies (SIMS) and BalCan CrossOver. SIMS is composed of students from the Institute of International Studies (IMS), part of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University, and organizes both academic and cultural events to enrich the learning experience. 

The evening features a screening of Stigmata (Stigme, 2023), a 72-minute Bosnian drama set in post-World War II Herzegovina. Following young Dragan and a group of tobacco smugglers, the film examines the lasting effects of ideological divides, earning praise as a standout in recent post-Yugoslav cinema.

After the screening, an English-language debate will delve into the region’s historical memory, exploring how wars and regimes shaped identities and their lingering societal impacts. The discussion features Kateřina Králová, professor of contemporary history specializing in memory studies, who initiated the international partnerships with the Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft (SOG), and Jakub Novosad, a translator and organizer of one of Central Europe’s most successful Balkan film festivals (BalCan CrossOver). Moderators Tomáš Košek and Pavel Buchta from SIMS will guide the conversation.

The debate will be streamed online, but the film screening is limited to in-person attendees.