Getting lost in the forgotten corners of Sarajevo
- Text by Conor Rollins
- Photography by Conor Rollins
I was in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the 23rd annual Sarajevo Film Festival, where I was representing a short documentary a few classmates and I had made. It was up for Best European short. As the plane began its descent, I started preparing myself to get into the mindset of a big shot sell-out, who was accustomed to this sort of thing and knew how to play the game.
I landed and immediately headed to a bar. Smoking inside is still enjoyed and accepted Sarajevo, and it reminded me of our documentary, which is about the English town of Blackpool. Many people there we spoke to believed that the downfall of the once vibrant seaside town was due to the smoking ban.
Throughout the festival, I found myself trying to network and figure out how I was meant to act. I ended up feeling far more relaxed away in the mountains. To take a break, I decided to try and hike to the abandoned 1984 Olympic winter park. Now derelict, I thought it would be a great place to take some photos.
Four hours after beginning the hike, I found myself at the top of a mountain, lost and thirsty. I stumbled across a gentleman building a house. His English was limited and my Bosnian even worse, so we went to find his younger brother, who was about 13. His English felt like it was learnt from watching American TV dramas. Their mother, who also spoke no English, insisted I stay for lunch, as the Olympic park was another two-hour drive away.
After eating her homemade, pitta, meat and onion, I carried on up to where I thought the park was. I found only a communication antenna – and nothing else – but it at least had a great view over Sarajevo. Disappointingly, my camera decided to break at the exact moment. Fields of Graveyards from the Siege of Sarajevo in the Bosnian War could be seen in the distance. Only ending in 1996 after four years of fighting, the siege took the lives of nearly 14,000 people. Evidence of the war was noticeable but to see the scale of it was something else.
The contrast of this trip was something I hadn’t experienced before, and I was glad I ventured past the red carpets to visit the city and the people that exist the other 355 days of the year.
See more of Conor Rollins work on his official website, or follow him on Instagram.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Princess Julia: “I always state my age as I can’t believe I’m still around”
First lady — As the latest Artist-In-Residence of Huck 83, the London nightlife legend speaks to Josh Jones and provides a few recommendations and words of wisdom.
Written by: Josh Jones
A luminous portrait of Black life over six decades
Shared Memories — As staff photographer for The New York Times, Chester Higgins captured Black culture and spiritual connection like no other. A new exhibition celebrates his life and impact.
Written by: Miss Rosen
An intimate window into New York’s ’70s lesbian scene
We Others — An exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery combines Donna Gottschalk’s unearthed photographs of LGBTQ+ activists and friends, along with Hélène Gianneccini’s written histories.
Written by: Miss Rosen
A tender portrait of life and ritual from Mexico City’s streets
Órale — For the last six years of his life, photographer, collector and designer Michel Hurst documented death rituals, street life and religious pageantry in contemporary Mexico. A new monograph showcases his work.
Written by: Roxana Diba
In photos: Washington DC’s Black communities facing up to gentrification
A Language We Share — A new exhibition featuring the work of Beverly Price and Gordon Parks preserves historically Black neighbourhoods in the USA, before development and economic forces made them disappear.
Written by: Miss Rosen
On the frontlines of Britain’s ’80s protest movements
Protest and Equality — Against a backdrop of Thatcherism, hospital closures and global conflict, photographer Sarah Saunders was a documentarian of the long decade’s effects on society, as well as the communities actively resisting it.
Written by: Miss Rosen
