The Bridge of Mitrovica

Since the 1999 war, Mitrovica is an ethnically divided town in Kosovo. A bridge that formerly connected the city now separates the Albanian side from the Serbian. Two former citizens of Kosovo, one Albanian, the other Serbian, are now living with their parents in Switzerland. Young girls in their twenties, both face the prejudices of Westerners about their ethnic groups – “Albanians are thieves and Serbs are cruel, politically incorrect people.” The girls agreed to be filmed on their exciting journey back to their homeland, to their villages, which are only 20 kilometres apart. Their compatriots are enemies today, which is why conversations and thoughts around the journey tackle such topics as blame, reconciliation, peace, pride and nationalism. Albanian Arbnora Shabani and Serbian Marica Ristic consider the filmmaker’s wish to shake hands on the bridge that divides their two people. But can that really happen after their experiences, facing the misery and despair that has inhabited Kosovo over the last decade? With interchange between the girls' and separate monologues expressing fear and uneasiness, this road movie also includes contemplation from the director, who may have hoped for other outcomes from the film.