Serbian director receives international film price: Refugees are like you and me “Anywhere”.
14. 03. 2019.
In 2018, the UN Refugee Agency supported the Film Society (DUFS) of Dhaka University to add a segment “Short Film on Refugees” to its annual International Inter-University Short Film Festival (IIUSF).
The 10 min short “Anywhere” by Serbian director Aleksandar Aleksic, having competed with 685 other films from 71 countries in a two month-long Call for Entry, won 1st prize.
In a small ceremony held in the UN House in Belgrade on 14 March, Hans Friedrich Schodder, Representative of the UN Refugee Agency in Serbia, handed to Aleksandar Aleksic the trophy of the 2018 Dhaka International Inter-University Short Film Festival.
Also Steven Corliss, the Representative of UNHCR in Bangladesh congratulated Mr Aleksic noting - by video message - that “Anywhere” teaches us the most important lesson – that refugees are people like you and me.
Guests of the ceremony highly appraised the great artistic value of “Anywhere” and how effectively it conveys an important truth. “Thank you for showing the human face of the refugee crisis in Serbia, Europe and elsewhere, and our common humanity,” added Mr Schodder.
Mr Aleksic, moved by having won the prize among fierce competition, confirmed that he will try continuing to express important social themes through the powerful medium of film and said “I thank the representatives of IIUSFF and UNHCR from Dhaka for their effort to send the award, as well as the representatives of UNHCR Belgrade who organised the ceremony. I am happy that the UNHCR and UN staff were able to see the film and that I had an opportunity to explain how it came about and hear what it means to them”.
