Park Karagaç in Peja bears a quiet power. Its unassuming nature, containing only a basketball court, playground, and lake theatre, belies the significance of the venue. The laidback outdoor setting creates familiarity and comfort amongst visitors, bearing stark similarities to Woodstock ‘69, ranging from the rebellious spirit, outdoor venue, and music choices of the Anibar International Animation Festival organisers, being held at Park Karagaç from the 15th to the 21st.

The Film Festival showcases different types of animated movies from filmmakers around the world, all unified to one central theme of ‘Smashing the Patriarchy’. Anibar has always promoted progressive ideals through their work, with last year’s celebration covering LGBTQ equality.

“Our festival is a sanctuary for radical imagination, where the status quo is challenged, and new progressive ideas are supported,” organisers had written in the official announcement of the festival.

Anibar’s coverage and support of these progressive ideals is vital for true social equality to be achieved.

According to the organisers, Anibar’s fifteenth edition “will keep advocating for a balanced and healed society, making space for discussions on equity, personal authenticity and fulfilment, freedom, and the well-being of every individual”. Thus, Anibar will keep embracing its vision of confronting dogmatic mentalities while making way for inclusion and diversity.

Albin Musaj, a festival volunteer from Prizren, told BIRN that “it’s important that we raise awareness in a topic like patriarchy and the effects of it on society today,” especially in a country such as Kosovo, where gender based inequality and violence, virtually and in reality, prevails.

The festival organisers and participants know quite well that as important as smashing the patriarchy is, it cannot be done alone.

Luca Toth, the animator of this year’s trailer had explained that “for me the most important part of smashing the patriarchy is not actually some sort of demolishment, it’s quite the opposite. I wanted to show how important it is to have trust and human connection in order to rebuild a system that is unfitting for most of us.”

Zana Berisha, Kosovo based actress, who was the opening speaker on July 15, told the crowd loud and clear that this year’s theme “is a call for action,” emphasising “the great power of protest” which Anibar is known for.

“In the upcoming days we will face many powerful stories, with global perspectives of personal welfare, collective codes, with the beautiful and bitter aspects of being a girl, boy, husband, wife and ‘queer’ person,” she said.

Daily Oppression of Women Shown in Film

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The movies and banners displayed the mistreatment of women in Kosovo. Volunteers scaled the screen of the Kinema Liqeni (Cinema Lake) in Peja, lighting red flares into the air while rolling down posters stating anti-patriarchal messages, signalling the unifying theme of the prior three short films and of the festival as a whole.

“‘Patriarkati: Fabrikë e Dhunuesve (The Patriarchy: a Factory of Abusers)’; ‘Patriarkati: Armik i Përbashkët (The Patriarchy: Mutual Enemy)’; ‘Patriarkati: Fundi po i vjen (Patriarchy: Its end is coming)’,” the giant posters read.

The festival kicked off with three non competing short films – one depicting an amalgamation of phrases uttered by different members of society, with the purpose of oversexualizing women, with a noted example hailing from current American Presidential nominee Donald Trump.

The second showed a woman arranging to meet with her elderly relative for a birthday celebration, before being held up at work by another celebration. Her relative, expressing disgust for her apparent lack of regard for the effort he had put into their dinner, overcooks the steak he had been making, before biting off his own tongue in an effort to eat the burnt steak. The woman, in protest for his complaints and insults towards her character, cooks his tongue in a similar manner to the steak.

The last film of the night displays a violent rape committed by a monstrous creature against a woman, who, despite her best efforts, is unable to fight off her attacker. She attempts to clean her bruises after the incident, but is unable to until she is brought back into the moment of her assault, only this time it had been interrupted by a crowd of onlookers, disgusted by the man’s actions. Her bruises begin to heal.

Arba Hatashi, the director of the festival, told local Kosovo media Koha, that “this year’s theme is a consequence of last year’s theme ‘Love’.”

“ We wanted to focus on the problems of the citizens of Kosovo and on the systems with which we operate and interact. ‘Smashing the Patriarchy is a call for a better life for everyone, for a more equal life for everyone” she said.

158 films will be shown in ten categories until Sunday, July 21. The competition categories include: international, Balkan, student, human rights films, music video-animations and films for new audiences, as well as special film categories.

‘Fight. Protest. Stand up.’ for Women’s Rights

The solution to women’s societal ills is simple, argues the Anibar Festival: Fight. Protest. Stand up against rape, discrimination, and stigmatization, and slowly, but surely, equality can be achieved. It’s as simple as that.

Improvements have been made in Kosovar society, yet equality has not been achieved, with many obstacles still existing for women. Festivals such as Anibar have the ability to bring genuine, positive change to society, promoting women’s contributions to Kosovar society, celebrating their womanhood, individuality and capability.

A disturbing facet of patriarchal society in Kosovo is the presence of sexual violence against women, along with the stigmatization of sexual assault victims in Kosovar society that prevents them from reporting their trauma. The database of the QIKA organization, a feminist NGO located in Prishtina, notes that from “January to May 2023, there have been 42 committed and 4 attempted rape cases,” and more go unreported due to societal shame, potential retribution, or stigmatization.

Furthermore, prosecution in these rape cases is worrisome, as according to Chiara Tagliani, an officer with the EULEX Mission of Kosovo, noted that of the 36 rape cases analyzed by the organization, 16 resulted in acquittals and more than half of the guilty rulings followed with sentences under the minimum prison duration.

Anibar is urging citizens to take a stand.

As Berisha said in the opening ceremony “we are swallowing the Adam’s apple that is left in our throats tonight to shout for liberation and equality”.

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