In the summer of 2022, #RCT Activity held the Hajde Bre! Summer Camp. This camp was designed to bring together young people from across Kosovo and many ethnic backgrounds to learn about different cultures, build friendships, and promote peace and understanding. The filmmakers spent several days at the camp, interviewing participants and #RCT Activity team, capturing footage of the various activities, and immersing themselves in the unique and vibrant culture of the camp. When they returned home, they spent months editing the footage into a powerful and moving documentary.
They reached out to the camp organizers, as well as local media outlets and cultural organizations, to promote the screening.
When the night of the premiere finally arrived, the theater was packed with people from all across Kosovo and representatives of several institutions. As the lights went down and the film began to play, there was a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation in the air.
Over the next thirty minutes, the audience was taken on a journey through the camp, from the opening ceremonies to the final goodbyes. They saw how the campers from different backgrounds and cultures came together to learn from each other and build lasting friendships, while at the same time learning more about important skills such as, photography and content writing. These skills gained by the participants were also promoted using the booklet that was created titled ‘Eyes of the Mountain.’ This booklet combined some of the photographs as well as, content stories written by the Summer Camp’s participants.
The screening of the documentary was followed up by panel discussion consisting of trainers, the filmmakers, activity staff and the deputy minister of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Sylejman Elshani.
But perhaps the most meaningful success of the screening was the impact it had on the young people who attended the Hajde Bre! Summer Camp. Many of them were inspired by the camp to become more active in their communities and to work towards a brighter, more peaceful future for Kosovo and the region as a whole.
Here is the link to the activity video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLZs15L-1Fk
This event is part of the Reconciliation & Conflict Transformation Activity, implemented by Community Building Mitrovica and partners from New Social Initiative and Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo (YIHR KS), and supported by the American people through USAID Kosovo.