Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Buddhist monk and meditation teacher, dubbed “the world’s happiest person” by Time and National Geographic magazines, says that every creature wants to escape suffering and find happiness. However, suffering and tragedies still exist (and probably always will, as they are part and parcel of life, should we once again refer to Buddhism). Yet, this year’s Belgrade Photo Month wants to address the notion of Postconflict. According to Cambridge dictionary, conflict is “a situation in which beliefs, needs, facts, etc. are very different and cannot easily exist together or both be true.” But what happens after the conflict? 

The festival participants will explore the topic of post-conflict from various perspectives, starting from the inner state of postconflict, showcasing journeys of overcoming trauma and depicting personal resilience and strength. The festival’s flagship project that will explore this topic is I Drink by Canadian photographer Kourtney Roy. The theme will also explore social postconflict that arises from communication between oneself and others. The works will show the efforts to rebuild social fabric and highlight the stories of reconciliation, healing and re-building of trust among people. 

Political postconflict will be presented through projects that document the aftermath of wars, revolutions, and political upheavals or capture the reconstruction of societies, challenges of peacebuilding and restoration of civil order. Economic post-conflict will illustrate the revival of economies and livelihoods after financial crises or destructive events, as well as the examination of the role of innovation, adaptation, and community support during economic recovery. Environmental post-conflict will explore the results of conflicts between human beings, nature and other inhabitants of the Earth. It will address the recovery of ecosystems after natural and human-induced disasters and showcase the efforts to heal the environment.

What will remain after the conflict? The answer to this question is to be found by each and every human being on their own. Will every single person, individually, and the world in general, find inner strength and compassion to transform conflict into a postconflict with positive outcome? We shall see.

Tatyana Valova

We would like to welcome you to our 7th edition of the festival and we hope that you will be interested in the programme that we have prepared for this year.

• New Talents 2025. Emanuel Constantino, Luuk van Raamsdonk, Nađa Repman, Stanisław Świtała
• Bragi Þór Jósefsson. Iceland Defense Force
• Kourtney Roy. I Drink – New Orleans
• Marija Ćalić. Neurorezevoar
• Martina Havlová. Tajina
• Katarina Marković – In Passing