The documentary film The Witness, authored and directed by Denis Bojić, was shown in Phoenix, where it gathered numerous members of the Serbian community and once again confirmed that the need for the truth about the suffering of the Serbian people transcends spatial boundaries. The film was seen as an important cultural and identity event for the Serbian community in Arizona, especially considering that Phoenix is home to about 20,000 people of Serbian origin, gathered around two church communities and many cultural, social and homeland associations.

The film screening was realized in cooperation with the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Representative Office of the Republic of Srpska in Washington and the Ministry of European Integration and International Cooperation of the Republic of Srpska, with the support of the Serbian community in Arizona. The event brought together believers, representatives of associations and many diaspora members, confirming the importance of institutional cooperation and joint action in preserving the culture of memory and historical truth.

The Witness was created out of the need to preserve memory, and of the obligation we bear towards every Serbian victim and the generations to come. The Witness documentary presents a documented and systematic testimony to the suffering of the Serbian people during the wars of the 1990s in the former Yugoslavia. The film is based on the war and professional engagement of Prof. Dr Zoran Stanković, whose autopsy findings and expert reports are an integral part of the archival material on which this work is based.

A special value of the film is seen in its documentary integrity. The Witness is not just a record of past events, but a lasting historical document with a strong educational and social role, of special importance for younger generations and Serbian diaspora. The film The Witness was co-produced by Radio Television of the Republic of Srpska and the Republic Center for Research of War, War Crimes and Search for Missing Persons.

Source and photo: RTRS