Together, we went for a walk through the historical paths of the town, also observing local artistic and social work. At every step, we were searching for inspiration to create a script for an animated film.
We found it during a conversation with two elderly residents of the town, who spoke to us with great tenderness about the river—the Danube as it used to be—the Danube that was once the heart of the town’s life, a means of transport, a road to the greater world of science and art. There were also chilling stories: of those who ventured onto the river and never returned, and of those who failed to show it respect.
At the same time, the Klezmer Orchestra of the Sejny Theatre arrived in the city of Šabac, where in the evening they filled the space of the Kulturni Centar with their music.
The following day, the Polish-Serbian youth group began work on the animated film. Some of us went to meet with experienced fishermen, hoping to hear yet another extraordinary story about the river. And so, we learned about the winter Danube—frozen solid enough to walk across on foot, which people often did, following animal tracks with long sticks slung over their backs, meant to help them avoid drowning if the ice broke.
Another hospitable, fascinating day ended with a performance of the Sejny Chronicles, during which young people from Sejny shared the story of their town with their peers, hosts, residents, and the memory-keepers they had met earlier.
While the young people worked on the animation, Weronika Czyżewska-Poncyljusz met with educators from Vršac to talk about Pogranicze’s work and its guiding values, using examples of animated films created in Sejny.
Our last, intense day on the Danube began with a boat trip on the river, during which—as with previous events—the sound team accompanied us, gathering the final recordings needed for the film. In the afternoon, it was time for final touches on the community art project. At 5 p.m., the animated film about the Danube—marking time and setting the rhythm of life in Sremski Karlovci—was presented to all gathered.
The artistic work related to the animation was led by Bożena Szroeder, with Ksenija Konopek and Karolina Kotowska responsible for the visual elements, and Mikołaj Pohl and Piotr Szroeder handling the sound. Piotr Myszczyński was in charge of animation and editing.
Shortly afterward, at 7 p.m. in the courtyard of the organization that hosted us, a concert by the Klezmer Orchestra of the Sejny Theatre began, marking the culmination of three days of joint work and the relationships that were built.
While most of the Pogranicze team was in Sremski Karlovci, music workshops continued in Vršac, led by Magda Barszcz and Staszek Czyżewski for the group from Otvoreno Srce Sveta. They opened their voices and, through communal music-making, prepared for the final performance held on Friday.
This presentation was a beautiful conclusion to a week of work, for which we are deeply grateful!
Text: Patryk Jankowski
Photos: Agata Wasilewska, Piotr Myszczyński
Projekt finansowany z budżetu państwa w ramach konkursu Ministra Spraw Zagranicznych RP „Dyplomacja Publiczna 2024 -2025 - wymiar europejski i przeciwdziałanie dezinformacji”
Poljski institut u Beogradu / Instytut Polski w Belgradzie
